Conference Report

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1 CONTENTS

How school leaders can ‘make the Student-led research includes ‘learning 6 impossible possible’ 48 ambassadors’ Sue Williamson Pershore High School Practical approaches from different HMI’s national director reveals a more 10 sources 49 collegiate, even human, approach Sound Training & Acklam Grange School Sean Harford From good to outstanding – messages Using fear and fun in continuing 16 from sport and other sectors 51 professional learning Baroness Sue Campbell Excelsior Academy How to motivate young people to pass To build an innovative culture, you 20 their exams 52 must take risks Marcus Orlovsky Robin Hood Multi-Academy Trust Talking heads Creating the conditions for research 25 Joy Ballard, Angelina Idun and Nick Wergan 54 engagement in your school Let’s work together to achieve system CEBE 36 leadership Dialogues of possibility – tools for leaders Sir David Carter 56 Independent Thinking Leading from the middle: why we need it Formative assessment: ask the right 40 Professor Andy Hargreaves 57 questions Don’t get lost in the busyness and the Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School 47 pernicious accountability Stephen Tierney DELEGATE REACTIONS

To these people, it’s not just a job Foreign trips This is one of the best events I’ve ever been to. The workshop about private school-type The theme that runs through it – leadership across opportunities in state schools, and how you can the board – is very strong, to my mind. Almost all manage to afford them, interested me. It’s about the sessions resonate with my belief in the right getting the balance right between something thing to do, values-driven leadership; I came out exciting which is also affordable and fits in with our feeling I could conquer the world! Dave Harris was curriculum. exceptional, as was Greg Gilbey on asking the right Julie Dennison, Head of Art and Design, South Craven School questions. You get a good mix of people here, people who are passionate about what they do; it’s Looking outside ourselves not just a job. It makes it good talking to them. [Likes the SSAT conference because] we should Rachel Smith, Headteacher, Beaconsfield High School take every opportunity to look outside of ourselves and our own schools or MATs, to see how we can A workshop that suits you do better. I like listening to Sue [Williamson] on It’s interesting to listen to what others do and leadership. reflect on it, when things are often so different in Stephen Leahey, Principal, Leigh UTC different schools. I like the idea of the workshops – you can find one that is suitable to your situation. Tighter focus Roger Keyworth, Head of Business Studies, This is the sixth SSAT national conference I’ve been South Craven School to. There seemed more focus than in previous years; the presentations were more explicitly linked to Creative elements the conference’s core themes. The two workshops It was good to hear from Dominic [Peckham, I’ve been to so far have been excellent. They had a conductor and choirmaster]. It’s important to take common message: the strength of resolve in doing time to develop the creative elements in school what’s right for your students. I principally agree early on, and the relationships. That is really key. with this, and it’s comforting to know that there are Carina Lindars, Assistant Principal, Leigh UTC other schools that are bravely determined to hold on to this moral purpose. Paul Manby, Deputy Head, Greenford High School

3 STUDENT PERFORMANCE John Masefield High School

4 5 6 HOW SCHOOL LEADERS CAN ‘MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE’ SSAT CHIEF EXECUTIVE SUE WILLIAMSON

ue Williamson opened the 2016 National Conference at ICC, Birmingham, with examples of “the tremendous work that goes on every day in schools”, much of which she sees in her many school visits during the year: “It is very rarely that I Scome away without having seen something or someone that is truly inspirational.”

As a judge for the lifetime is next week and Carol and another advocated ‘by schools, for schools’ achievement award for Pearson teacher will be my guests. They and principled leadership. Teaching Awards, with fellow are taking me out for a celebratory “Sir Alex again sums it up judge, former headteacher Sir Alan lunch afterwards. I am going to for me: ‘I cannot imagine how Steer, she visited four shortlisted become a teacher of English like anyone without firm convictions candidates in England and one Carol – she saved my life.’ and beliefs can be an effective in Scotland. “Usually we hear leader.’ I entered teaching with from colleagues past and present, Making the impossible possible a passionate belief that every parents and students – you will not “These and so many other child can succeed, and I took this be surprised to hear that it is the examples confirm that teachers into headship. As we move into a evidence from the young people make lives,” Sue Williamson system of multi academy trusts that has the most impact. commented. “They make the with some free-standing schools “At a school in Glasgow, we impossible possible, and we need and academies, we are seeing new spoke to former student Jenny. Her to celebrate these wonderful leadership roles, with necessarily story was very sad, but uplifting. stories. different approaches. In the recent Her home life was terrible; her “The title for this conference pamphlet SSAT on Leading, I parents did not want her. Her only came from Sir Alex Ferguson’s book cited three of them: headteacher, adult support came from teacher Leading. In it he states: ‘My job was executive headteacher and chief Carol McManus and another to make everyone understand that executive. pastoral lead. She had very little the impossible was possible. That’s “These additional levels of in life, and eventually at age 15 the difference between leadership leadership give added focus to the she was thrown out of the family and management.’ It made me question: what lessons, if any, can home. She did not know what to reflect on what leadership is we learn from business and adapt do, so phoned Carol, who found needed in the school-led system for a school or multi-academy her a place to stay. Somehow Jenny and what lessons school leaders trust (MAT)? Jim Collins has got through her examinations – might learn from other sectors. inspired many leaders, particularly she often wanted to give up but “I think we are a long way from with his book Good to Great. In Carol kept her going. I asked Jenny a school-led system. There are still the pamphlet, I take lessons from what was she doing now and she too many top-down initiatives, and another of Collins’ books, How told us: we need a different accountability the Mighty Fall, and today I would ‘I’ve just graduated from framework. However, we are on a like to focus on two of his key Glasgow University with a 2:1 in journey and school leaders need arguments. English. The graduation ceremony to be leading. SSAT has always

7 HOW SCHOOL LEADERS CAN ‘MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE’

Collaboration, partnerships “All our partnerships will help “Yes, we live in a period of “In education, we should be member schools with providing an immense change – but with that focusing on giving greater value enriched curriculum – good results change comes opportunities to to our shareholders – to the young plus. do things differently. The DfE and people in our schools, parents, Ofsted now agree with prominent and the local community. By Grow your own way, but don’t school leaders: there is no one adding value in the development become insular way to do anything. Pedagogy, of young people, we do a great “Collins also speaks about growth. curriculum, assessment and service to our country. It’s not just We have seen some MATs and your day-to-day arrangements about examination performance chains grow too quickly, to the are entirely up to you, providing (though this is important), but detriment of the young people and you can support your decisions enabling young people to develop staff. An essential requirement with a strong narrative rooted in the skills, knowledge and aptitudes for any MAT is a growth strategy. evidence. they need to succeed in life. There is no model policy, each one “But this leads to one important Collaboration and partnerships are has to be based on context. message for all school leaders crucial, and SSAT is working with “To that end, it’s essential and governors: for too long, a number of partners to help with the development of young people. “For over 10 years we have Staff need to see practice beyond their school, MAT, and partnered humanutopia in supporting schools to help region – this is why national networks are so important young people to have hope, confidence and happiness, to that everyone engages in talent many of us have put pressure on develop relationships and to be management. We need the right staff and students because we’ve employable. humanutopia’s theory people in key positions, whether thought certain behaviours and of change is designed to help in an individual school or a MAT. practices were required. In reality, young people understand how they Sir David Carter rightly says that as a school leader, it really is your can bring about positive change the best MATs provide career choice how many of the external in their own life. In developing our progression for all their staff. pressures you allow to go beyond partnership with humanutopia In a time of teacher and school your office door. We know that we we will be offering schools‘‘ the leader shortages, it is even more are facing a teacher recruitment opportunity to bring three or four important for an organisation to and retention crisis. Often we look challenging students to regional grow its own. for external factors to attribute to workshops. The session will be the “However, a MAT or a school this – how often do we look at what starting point for transforming has to take care that it does not negative behaviours are being the way they look at themselves. become insular. Staff need to see driven by our own school policies?” The first workshop is being held practice beyond their school, MAT, in the North East on 25 January and region – this is why national An appeal to school and system 2017 with further events in the networks are so important. I am leaders Midlands, London and the South very proud that over the years “So please make one commitment West. SSAT has trained more than 12,000 to yourself: that you will improve “We are also forging school leaders and teachers. All the lives of your staff or students. partnerships with the National SSAT programmes are designed You might ban the phrase ‘for Children’s Bureau to provide and delivered by headteachers. Ofsted’, making sure you never resources on mental health; and “Educational leadership do anything to please an outside only this week we met with the requires creativity of approach and agency. You might ban emails charity Community Save a Life the courage of your convictions. after 5.30pm and at weekends to Scheme, which aims to have a We have seen lately how wildly help staff workloads. You might lifesaver on every street. We will be different approaches can divide systematically make sure that highlighting their work in SSAT’s opinion – even when they are all every member of staff and every journal and helping members to rooted in achieving excellence for student receives one positive book the training. young people. comment every week.

8 HOW SCHOOL LEADERS CAN ‘MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE’

“We have these opportunities Blueprint your dreams is all commit to our beliefs, and do to do things differently, and we about turning a vision into reality. what’s right for the individuals in need to seize them in the interests As a leader, I am proud of where we our schools.” of our students’ futures. But doing have taken SSAT since we became this requires us to think differently a private company in 2012. At the Personal challenge about our leadership development. heart of all our networks and all Sue Williamson then made a Today, we have innovative our programmes are you – the personal request to delegates: new programmes such as our executive heads, heads and senior “I would love you to engage and High Performance Leadership leaders who contribute so much. debate these principles with me programme partnering with the – challenge me on them, suggest Centre for High Performance at 4 Learn from business: ever ones important to you. Let’s take Oxford, NASA and Apple; and since we worked with David forward a new, more nuanced our Chief Executive programme, Hargreaves on personalising dialogue around educational looking at this changing role.” learning and system redesign leadership. Do share your views SSAT’s franchised middle some 10 years ago, it has been using the hashtag ‘love to lead’. leadership award is now in its third evident that we need to look at cohort, making it one of the largest other sectors to inform our own middle leadership programmes educational practice. in the country. The franchise model is helping us to support the 5 Knowing the practical stuff schools-led system in a real and backwards may sound pedestrian; meaningful way. “At this time of but we have seen too many We must all commit to great change, I truly believe that instances where MAT and school SSAT is the hub of educational leaders have fallen from grace. our beliefs, and do what’s leadership development in True, sometimes this is down to right for the individuals in England, and I urge you to join us the head’s own hubris, but I think in growing the next generation of more often than not it’s individuals our schools leaders. not realising how different some of “SSAT on Leading identifies these roles and processes are. “The final point that I wish to eight core principles that underpin make is that SSAT is prepared to our programmes, and I hope they 6 Getting the right people invest in the development of the ring true to you. on the bus: think carefully and next generation of school leaders. critically about what the key roles We are going to fund 100 young 1 Know yourself is about being in your organisation are. It may not leaders for a year to engage with critically honest with yourself always be the immediate senior the best leaders nationally and about what role you really leadership team. Middle leadership internationally, and to examine want. This means being candid is often referred to as the engine leadership in other sectors. We about your own strengths and room of the school. are not suggesting that they weaknesses and holding your leave school for the year, but it hands up when there’s something 7 Your legacy as a leader really will require some days out in the you can’t do. matters. To nurture the next course of the year.” generation of leaders we must 2 Prepare to unlearn have a strategic, cohesive and Find out more about the SSAT acknowledges that we need to work national approach to leadership Leadership Legacy project at in new ways. As school leaders, development – and this needs to http://bit.ly/2jFJat1 we need to think differently about be led by you, the profession, not staff education and training at all by government. levels – from ITT that reflects the reality of being a trainee teacher 8 The final principle reaffirms Sir in 2016, to personalised CPD and Alex’s comment about the absolute leadership training that is robust necessity for leaders to have firm and rigorous. convictions and beliefs. We must

9 10 PRACTICAL APPROACHES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES SOUND TRAINING & ACKLAM GRANGE SCHOOL

he session led by Claire Preston, chief executive of Sound Training, focused on applying proven methods from education and elsewhere to leadership and teacher T development, and included strong evidence from teachers of their effectiveness. Claire Preston started her glass jar and the lid sealed. After programmes that have been presentation with an admission: three days, when the jar was used by some 900 teachers and “I have never been a school leader, opened, the fleas would not jump 35,000 students. Katy Parkinson, but I have been a teacher and a out. In fact, the fleas would never the founder director of Sound leader in a number of sectors. I find jump higher than the level set by Training, wasn’t prepared to accept it fascinating when visiting schools that it’s often clear how well that school is doing simply from the reception you get when you arrive We talk about personalised learning… but are you offering in the school. As a leader, what personalised management? Personalised leadership? you’re projecting – your leadership – is actually contagious. It affects every part of your organisation, the lid. Their behaviour was now the low standards that students often in a very obvious way.” set for the rest of their lives. And were achieving in Middlesbrough, So, she said, “how we package when these fleas reproduced, their where she was based. She began things as a leader is incredibly offspring would automatically to devise programmes that would important. We need to be able to follow their example, the clip stretch and challenge students adjust our style. It might be the explained. and give them the strategies they same message, it might be the needed to achieve more. Now, same end goal, but we do need to You’ll only jump as high as you some years on, “I’m really proud of adjust what we are doing”‘‘ to suit think you can the fact that we work with some each group and individual. “I think we can all relate to that amazing schools throughout the “We talk about personalised message and we can all think country and now further afield in learning all the time, and nobody of students that that applies the United States,” Claire Preston here is new to that at all. But to,” she commented. But it has said. are you leading by offering implications for managers and Teachers from one of those personalised management? leaders: “think about what we schools, Acklam Grange in Are you offering personalised expect of our managers and Middlesbrough, then explained leadership? How are we actually teachers, and how we really can to the conference how they imparting that message to our get the most out of the day, out of implement some of these managers and getting the best out the service that we provide, for the programmes, and how they work of them?” people that really need it.” in practice. She showed a video clip in This thinking has helped Sound which fleas were placed inside a Training in developing training

11 PRACTICAL APPROACHES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

Acklam Grange’s story Developing her theme, she over there). But within my school, Assistant head Sarah Ledger is explored ‘derivative’ leadership I feel happy because of the things responsible for teaching and and how the quality assurance that are put in place for me as a learning and middle leadership cycle and voluntary ‘flipped’ middle leader to feel trusted, to development. She introduced their professional development story with: “we were an RI school responds to identified issues. The for what seemed like forever. The focus is now on how to make the town has a very bad reputation, solution bespoke, innovative; and with Middlesbrough being deemed how it involves everybody who the worst town in the worst region needs to be involved. Constant contact and in the country. We went on a very rough and rocky journey in order Trusted and equipped referral on decision-making to get stamped with a ‘good’ in Transition teacher Jonathan February 2016, with leadership Lowes, who works with students led to dependency and a at all levels being deemed coming from KS2 to KS3, took up lack of empowerment outstanding. And then in the the story. “The question we have August our results were superb. We to address is ‘how healthy is that feel equipped and to work with my have bucked a trend. Our results, engine room (of middle leaders) team so I can really get the best out including top 2% in the country in our school?’ And as a teacher of them and pass on the message for whole-school Progress 8, are and middle leader, of course I get that’s coming from SLT. something that we are very proud stressed. Everyone is under a lot “I can be told about everything of. of pressure. But at the same time, I that’s coming through and how “I do believe that one of the feel healthy within my school. it works, but it’s me that’s got to big shifts was because of how we “I had the privilege of going to make it happen with my team. And altered the way we were investing New York with Sound Training to ultimately, get the very best out of our time and our focus on middle develop a transatlantic link for our those students who are in front of leadership development.” school (and to run the marathon us every day.

12 PRACTICAL APPROACHES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

“For me, the concept of time Avoiding learned helplessness is important. We’re time bereft as Referring back to the fleas in teachers: we have to battle with the jar, Claire Preston noted that our timetable and all the other leaders must overcome tendencies jobs that need doing. So how do towards ‘learned helplessness’, we make sure that time, which is which is all too common. She so precious to our staff, is used at suggested school leaders ask its absolute best when everyone themselves: would your middle STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT is together in professional managers know what to do in development activities?” every school-based situation they are likely to encounter? Are you No passive listening empowering them, like Acklam Acklam Grange has applied the Grange are, to have the skills concept of flipped learning to and strategies that they need to teacher development. “Do we want achieve, feel empowered, and feel our precious teachers, the most proud of their work? valuable resource in any school, “On a management course Daniel Arthur, Melbourn Village College to be sat listening to somebody?”, about 25 years ago I heard a case I talked to two senior leaders Sarah Ledger asked. “No. We want study about a large company that among the delegates, who said them to be applying, analysing, was underperforming and had synthesising and evaluating brought in some consultants. All events like the SSAT National together. So we provide all the the senior management arrived on Conference are very useful to training materials before each the Monday morning – and were teachers and senior leadership session, using flip videos via sent home! The middle managers staff of schools, as people present Microsoft Mix for example.” The then managed their teams and lots of different methods of training sessions are then far more departments over the next two furthering students’ education. productive, focused on informed weeks without any contact from A school’s SLT don’t have time discussion on the major issues. their senior managers. And they in their normal working days to “That flipping of training were very successful.” really reflect on their schools and sessions has made a huge What had been happening how they could be improved; difference to the middle leaders’ before was constant contact these days help them by bringing productivity, and a huge difference and referral on decision- different SLs together to discuss to their feeling that they can own making between middle and ideas. it. senior managers, resulting in a “The tools, everything that we dependency. As a result, there do within our staff training, can was a lack of empowerment and I liked the style of the instantly be lifted into our lessons missed opportunities for training presentation about ‘museum the next day. So a staff member and investing time in middle schools’ by Langley Academy can say, ‘look, I’m unsure on this’. management. Trust. It included a short exercise Together we can look, they can She concluded with: “if you’re used in the school, showing pick via Eventbrite which sessions inspiring, if you’re encouraging teachers how their system works. they want to go to. It’s constantly someone to dream or learn, you’re They also brought in a student righting any wrongs or just a leader. The contagious culture from their school, to give an developing people to make them we would all like to see is one of insight to what the school is like to even better within the classroom. aspiration, innovation and sound the recipients. “And the trust, that’s the most leadership.” important thing. For me to be able to stand here as a middle leader Sound Training is SSAT’s and be able to talk to you, it’s a Leading Literacy partner, and trust that I get from my SLT to be headline sponsor for the 2016 able to do things.” national conference

13 STUDENT PERFORMANCE Arden Academy

14 15 16 FROM GOOD TO OUTSTANDING – MESSAGES FROM SPORT AND OTHER SECTORS BARONESS SUE CAMPBELL

aroness Sue Campbell, former chair of UK Sport, chief executive of the National Coaching Federation, and chair of Youth Sport Trust, was instrumental in Team GB B and Paralympic GB achieving their greatest Olympic successes for over a century. In line with her passion about It’s all about culture “So how did we do that? education, Sue Campbell’s speech “Culture is not about a building “Leaders really value every focused on “the journey we went or an environment or money; it’s single individual. Now, I know, on with UK Sport… and some of about people, a belief that together I’m a realist. I’ve managed the lessons we can draw out of that you can change things. When I organisations where there were about how we really drive system started in 2003, I believed that we many people I would like to have management. could become the most successful strangled, never mind lead! And “You [in education] work in a Olympic and Paralympic nation I’m sure there are people in your complex and difficult landscape. in the world for our population school that are difficult, stubborn, As leaders it’s in these challenging size. I’d have been very rich if I stuck in their ways.” times that real leadership shines,” had taken a pound every time She cited the example of Nelson she said. “It’s easy to lead when anybody ever said to me, ‘You can’t Mandela, who “showed us that things are good, but it’s so much do that, that’s not doable.’ But it is you can turn even these people tougher when you’re constantly doable. In whatever circumstances, if you work at it long enough and challenged, as you are. You do one however challenging your school hard enough. During Mandela’s 20 of the most important jobs that is, it is possible if you can get hold years on Robben Island, he won there is in this country. of people and galvanise them to over his warders – the very people “I went into education because I wanted to change lives. The tool I use is physical education Leadership is about your ability to galvanise and sport.” In 1996, she said, UK Sport, which manages the teams everybody to go on the same journey for the Olympics, was “in special measures. One gold medal, 36th in want to go on that journey with who were containing him, who the medal table and dropping like you. That’s what leadership is imprisoned him, who saw him as a stone. about. the enemy, a terrorist.” He didn’t “The interesting journey was “It’s not about management. It’s try to impose himself on them, but from 2003 to 2012. And obviously, about getting people to join you he learned to be good friends with on into Rio [where Team GB scored on a journey. To sell them a vision them, to understand them so they its highest number of gold medals that they want to buy into, a set would come on the journey with for over 100 years]. The interesting of beliefs, going together on one him. part of that journey was it had ‘‘team, one mission, to be the very “And I think that is a very little to do with money. It had best that you can be, not worrying tremendous lesson that Mandela everything to do with culture.” about what anybody else is doing. taught all of us.

17 FROM GOOD TO OUTSTANDING – MESSAGES FROM SPORT AND OTHER SECTORS

“Leadership is about your daily contact with people, that whether it’s in woodwork or maths ability to galvanise everybody to go daily aspiration, that daily concern or sport or English or science, I on the same journey. I occasionally and caring that starts to move the want to make that dream possible. do in-service days for schools. system on. And it’s not done easily. That’s my moral purpose. And if I And I’ll always say to people when But it is about everybody in your take care of that moral purpose, I’m coming, ‘Is everybody here?’ school, regardless of the role they those medals will take care of And they’ll say, ‘yes.’ And after five take. themselves.” minutes, I hear the clanging and the banging of the people in the kitchen.” Create an environment of success. Everybody needs to be there The more you stress about it, the more pressure “Everybody needs to be there. You know, when UK Sport decided you create, the more your athlete doesn’t perform to go on this journey, it wasn’t just about the athletes or the coaches or the sports scientists “The other big thing for me So to the school leaders in her or the nutritionists. It was about was defining very clearly what audience, she exhorted: “focus the technicians, the people who was our moral purpose at UK on the children, what is right for organised the kit, the clothing, Sport. I, like you, had enormous them. Create an environment of it was everything. If you want to pressure from government. But I success for them to achieve. The go from good to great, or good constantly had to ask myself, am I more you stress about it, the more to outstanding , then you’ve got really about medals? What is it I’m pressure you create, the more your to tackle the ‘impossible’ with‘‘ about? One day, I was walking with athlete doesn’t perform. everybody. And that includes the the dog across Bradgate Park in “If I had stood in front of Jess people who work in your kitchens, Leicestershire, and realised I’m not Ennis just before she went out on your grounds…. Everyone has about medals. If a young person to do the heptathlon and said, to get the mission. Because it’s that has a desire, a dream, I don’t care ‘For God’s sake, Jess, will you win

STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT

Emily Littlewood and Rose Pedge, Melbourn Village College

SESSION: TAKING RISKS IN EDUCATION What we liked…that everyone has recognised that taking risks and making goals is the way to progress in education. It’s comforting to know that teachers completely put their students before their own career!

What we disliked… the fact that the education Emily and Rose also conducted interviews with system causes teachers to worry about their career delegates on ‘the qualities of a leader’. The most and not the children. They seem to be so shackled popular responses were variations of: down to the system, causing education to suffer! • vision SESSION: FROM FEAR TO FLYING • leading by example We came away from the presentation thinking • courage/self-belief/resilience about how much work the teachers put in, and most • approachable/team working/getting on with students don’t say thank you to them enough. people/listening • creative/confidence to try out new ideas.

18 FROM GOOD TO OUTSTANDING – MESSAGES FROM SPORT AND OTHER SECTORS

me that gold medal!’ she’d have around then world champion “So, don’t be inflexible about probably bopped me one for a Michael Schumacher: the man who how you use your colleagues as start, but she would have been cleaned his garage floor wanted leaders. Sometimes they have stressed out of her brains. ‘Go out to be the best floor cleaner in the hidden talents. Don’t write there, Jess, and do the best you world (and went into great detail anybody off. Don’t park anybody in can. You’ve trained, you’ve put about it); those changing the tyres place and leave them there. Think the work in, you’ve got amazing worked together to shave 0.01 of about how you want to use your commitment. Do what you can do.’ a second off the time it took (and talents. Just think about what their There is such a different pressure coached each other, accepting each talents really are and use them to there.” other’s advice); and in one instance help you drive success. the correct decision made under The children must understand extreme pressure (staying out for moral purpose too 1-2 more laps despite running “And I do believe passionately that perilously low on fuel) won the education must help our children race. understand their moral purpose “So if you want greatness, those too. It isn’t just about achievement are simple strategies. Everyone Managing is a science. in examinations. It’s about in your school has to feel valued, achievement in life. has to belong, has to be part of Leadership is an art form “The next big challenge for me, your mission, has to want to be the when I was clear what we were best that they can be every day. about, was trying to describe to my Everybody has to strive to be 0.01 “And finally I think great colleagues at UK Sport what great better day after day after day. And leadership means that you create would look like. you as leaders have to have the a genuine belief that better never “We know what it means in courage to take big decisions. The stops. My greatest satisfaction, results, and what Ofsted will say, ones you get wrong are the ones having finished at UK Sport and about teaching and learning you’ll learn the most from. You in 2013, was watching Rio in and all the things that you know have to reach out if you want to be 2016. It told me that the system very much better than I. But how world-leading. understood. Don’t let people rest. do you explain what it means to “Leadership is the way you Keep striving. Keep searching. Keep reception? How do you explain walk around, the way you say, looking – because you affect the what it means to a teacher? How ‘good morning, and how are you whole of society through the next do you explain what it means to a today? Is your son better?’ Those generation that you create.” teaching assistant and the person things matter. That’s leadership. who does the grounds? Well, what Managing? That’s a science. do you mean, you want them to be Leadership, it’s an art form. It’s world class? What does that look about you expressing who you are like? You mean they mow faster, in the most positive way. they make more puddings? What are you asking them to do, what Leaders’ greatest gift: asking the does great look like? right questions “I tried everything. I tried “Your greatest gift as a leader taking them to the ballet. I tried is to know what questions to taking them to Sandhurst to see ask, and of whom. You can raise that particular wonderful kind of people’s aspirations, lift them to be excellence. But it was only when I different, unlock creativity by the went to Formula One that I realised questions you ask. Not by telling. I could explain in really simple, Ask questions. Enable people. ordinary language what great, Encourage people. Support them to outstanding looked like.” take those risks. Because for some She cited three lessons she of our young people, that creative, gleaned from following the team innovative approach will just click.

19 20 HOW TO MOTIVATE YOUNG PEOPLE TO PASS THEIR EXAMS MARCUS ORLOVSKY

ith a background in finance, real estate, HR and technology, Marcus Orlovsky now applies his knowledge and skills to education, including global speaking engage- ments and TED talks. He has also set up a fascinating programme designed to Wgive young people powerful reasons to pursue their education.

Much of his work stems from the will become ever more important. earthquakes or natural pestilence. conviction that “it’s not so much “Sixty percent of the global Her message was that she really teaching which gets in the way, population doesn’t have access had to work hard to overcome it’s sometimes kids just don’t to the internet, and is expected prejudices about women in the know why they need to learn this to come on board in the next five motor industry. stuff. And if they don’t know why years. And that’s going to change “It’s not about what you know they need to learn it, guess what everything! Because if you are anymore – it’s also who you know, happens? sitting in Somalia and you don’t and even more importantly, how “While in education we’re have free water, you don’t even you know them.” Sometimes, talking about learning and great futures, I wonder how many kids are going home to be surrounded Sometimes kids just don’t know why they by people who are naysayers and tell them it’s all rubbish. And, of need to learn this stuff course, there are more of them than there are of us.” have any clean water, it’s a bit rich, however, those in society, and isn’t it, when you see that a chief education in particular, fall well What young people are capable executive of a company in France short of this. He showed a sign of earns 2 million a year. And I think from a school that stated, ‘Don’t He showed an image of a young that’s part of the challenge which knock on this door unless it is man called Jordan Casey: “I talked our young people are going to have an emergency! Staff room.’ “That to him at a TEDx in Klagenfurt to face.” really says we are integrating with [Austria]. At the age of 14 he is For an example of an effective people, doesn’t it?,” he commented now really making his mark as a ‘‘response to such challenges, he sardonically. developer. His message is that age pointed to Cristina Balan, who Orlovsky set up Bryanston does not need to hold you back.” designed the electric motors for Square Holdings, a social With this and other examples the Tesla and nearly all electric enterprise, “to see if we can help including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill hybrid cars: “She has been working kids fathom…work their ways out Gates and Steve Jobs, he made the with Bill Gates to create drones of all this. And we just do three point that “we have no idea what which fly 100km, carrying a 10kg things. We develop students, we people are capable of.” payload, to take medical supplies try to improve the teaching and But making the best use of into areas where you can’t get learning environment, we try to what young people are capable of trucks, such as when you’ve had inspire towards education. It’s

21 HOW TO MOTIVATE YOUNG PEOPLE TO PASS THEIR EXAMS

not about teaching, it’s just about Meeting interesting people A reason to get “these pesky showing the way.” The programme then takes the exams” kids off to meet ‘interesting “What then takes place in that is Teaching and learning people’, such as “a guy who runs amazing change happens. They environment Google”; a doctor responsible realise that ‘the difference between The organisation’s work on for dealing with the Zika virus; me and the world I’d like to be, the the teaching and learning the person who set up Charles place I’d like to be, is these pesky environment includes designing Tyrwhitt, the shirt company; an exams. I might as well get them.’ some schools 30% cheaper than actor; and staff at Al Jazeera. And funnily enough, they do.” the Education Funding Agency’s They visit about five places in target but which included many the same day, spending an hour original features to enhance and being able to ask any question. learning opportunities, such “And it’s very, very, very powerful as “little cave spaces….Our when kids have got up close and expectations are always wrong: dirty to people doing amazing we never know what’s possible things.” In 1-1 discussions, local until somebody achieves it.“ In A couple of weeks later, these another example, he showed a young people give a presentation decision-makers work with the video clip of a small chair which, to the rest of their year group. “And kids on how they can develop when sat on, tells a story. “You get that makes a hell of a difference to off, it stops: it’s just an iPod shuffle them.” their own ‘lift message’ and a couple of speakers, costing About a month later, “we bring a couple of hundred quid. So, in four or five local decision- In a video, a number of young anybody can do this stuff.” makers, who work with the kids on people reviewed their experiences how they can develop their own of this programme. Comments ‘lift message’ – you know, elevator included: “I’m going to try to pitches and all that sort of stuff concentrate more on life and – and then they each spend two stop being on my phone all the minutes, one-to-one, with each of time. Stop lounging about, not those decision-makers. doing stuff, and actually try to It’s not about what you “And in those two minutes, make a difference;” and “I would know anymore – it’s also quite a lot of these kids have recommend this for everyone organised work experience for that is not too sure about what who you know, and how themselves. There was one boy they want to do, because this will you know them who talked his way into Lots Road actually help you. So, yeah, you Art Gallery, got himself trained to should definitely do this.” In inspiring towards education, be an auctioneer, and ran ten lots Marcus Orlovsky concluded typically, the programme starts auctioning off 30,000 quid’s worth by pointing out that, although with selection of “some kids who of antiques. He’s 14…and is in care. this programme is a long way are disadvantaged or disengaged, What do you think that does for from the current focus on maths, or who could achieve a lot more, his self-esteem? And what do you science, etc, “90% of the kids we’ve and we run a ‘hot seat’, where think that does about giving him a worked with have achieved five A the head sits at the table and the repertoire of stuff to talk about?” to Cs. And funnily enough, pupil kids can ask any question, to be Another element of the premium kids outperform non- answered fairly, honestly and programme is helping the students pupil premium kids in the number completely. And that becomes to work out what can be done to of A*s.” super-powerful because some of improve their school: they develop The programme has now these kids have never had a proper ideas and pitch them to SLT, or enrolled some 400 people who “are conversation with the headteacher. even run programmes for other prepared to share everything for The only conversation they’ve ever kids in their school. about an hour with kids.” had is when they are in the s**t.”

22 HOW TO MOTIVATE YOUNG PEOPLE TO PASS THEIR EXAMS

STUDENT PERFORMANCE North Birmingham Academy

23 STUDENT PERFORMANCE Brockhill Park Performing Arts College

24 TALKING HEADS JOY BALLARD, ANGELINA IDUN AND NICK WERGAN

he National Conference has always recognised the importance of the views and experience of our practising, serving heads and senior leaders. This year three took the main stage, the first being Joy Ballard, currently principal at Ryde Academy, Isle Tof Wight – perhaps best known for her work on Channel 4’s ‘Educating Cardiff’.

and dad were both alcoholics. I had no aspirations for a future. I thought a degree was something to do with the temperature, or indeed, someone that sang in a trio of three black women. I had no idea at all the sort of things that were available outside of the life that I’d had. I did always go to school regularly, mainly because I liked the school dinners. But I left school with absolutely no qualifications and I’m apologising now to all those teachers when I was at school, for whom I was “a bit of an ‘andful”. But I felt that I’d been written It’s true – I am mostly known corner, and as Sue Williamson off by my school right from the for participating in a Channel 4 has said at this conference, when start, really. I’d been brought up documentary called ‘Educating Pearsons are looking at people for on a big council estate, same as all Cardiff’ and I’m very proud of the teaching awards, the biggest my friends. We turned up to school Willows High School and the thing they do is listen to the kids. most days, sat in lessons, never young people in it who took part That meant everything to me: that really paid attention to what the in that programme. But today I’m the children at Willows wanted teachers were saying, and nobody talking to you about my journey to nominate me for such a special really minded. And I think my into leadership, and what brought award. future was already set out for me, me to this particular point. all I really wanted to do was to get Last year I was privileged A degree was something to do married, have kids, and live my life. enough to win the Secondary with temperature So I started off with a variety of Headteacher of the Year Award, I came from a very tough, deprived jobs, ranging from cleaning at the mainly because the school where background, not just what we’d baccy factory up the road from us I worked had turned a massive now call pupil premium. My mum – used to be able to get 200 fags on

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the cheap, which was a big bonus for me in those days. But also up the local hospital. I’d learned to type somewhere along the line, I think I’d probably been in one of those classes where the French teacher didn’t want you anymore so you were put into something else. And for me that was typing. And I learnt to type really, really quickly and really accurately so I was able to get some jobs doing typing. But I felt as if my life was unfulfilled and I realised things that she could write into were teachers. something that I hadn’t before her books – was my favourite And, in a nutshell, I qualified when I was at school – I wasn’t writer. Sometimes I would read to be a teacher in 2007, did my very good at reading and writing. what she’d written and blush like NPQH the following year, and then In fact, sometimes some people mad because they were things I’d two years after that I applied for a in this profession can still speak never heard of. And I think that the post as a headteacher. But I wasn’t to me and I haven’t got a clue romantic, happy-ever-afters put really ready at that point to share what they’ve said because their a lot of pressure on my husband my background. I was pretending, vocabulary is so extensive, they Colin! He’s actually here today, so you know, that I was one of these use words that are not part of my apologies to him. posh birds that had come through vocabulary. Later I also realised But I read these books and it the education system the same the difference that made to me actually did something to me. I as everybody else. And I guess I at school because, unless you’ve travelled the world through Mills hadn’t learned to be confident in got those basic skills as a kid, you can’t access anything else. I guess that you’ve got a self-fulfilling If you go to my school, my absolute guarantee to you is: prophecy, then, as to what you’ll become. that no matter what, the staff that work for me will go the extra mile to make a difference to you and to your life At 22, no qualifications, three children So, I was 22 years old, I had three and Boon, whether I was in a my own skin for the professional kids and a husband that loved teepee in the middle of the desert that I’d become. me (and I’m still married to the or an igloo in the middle of the But I saw a job advertised at a same fella now). But at that time I North Pole, with some romantic school called Willows High School changed my life: I started reading man that actually was going in a place called Splott, a tough romantic fiction, Mills and Boon, to sweep me off my feet. Yes, I area of Cardiff. I went for the thousands of them. You could see travelled the world with Mills and interview and I fell in love with the me regularly at the local ‘‘jumble Boon. I’d never been anywhere school, and the area. sale getting books for a penny and else. I’d lived in Southampton all sometimes I could get through my life and never travelled, never Appointed as headteacher three or four in a day. I learnt an been to a foreign country. I couldn’t believe I actually got extended vocabulary through Mills My life changed and I got bitten the job. But, actually, I did realise and Boon so, actually, I’m quite an by the bug of education. Went afterwards that though there emotive speaker, but I’m holding to university, got a great degree, were six of us candidates, most that back for today. wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to of the others had just gone home But a woman called Sylvia do, and then I realised what had thinking, “We don’t quite fancy Sark – you would not believe the changed me and changed my life this” (laughter).

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As we were walking around and other staff were behind them, the school, some kids were sitting that would change their lives. And up on top of the roof watching us, it did. Willows became a massive making finger signs. But, actually, success story. Its results just shot that didn’t frighten me, I’d been up every single year. Attendance used to battling in my life to get went up. The kids started to say myself somewhere, and I knew they loved the school. And actually, what it’s like to live in poverty. I just we really felt like one great big STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT felt totally inspired by the place giant family. and I wanted that job probably I left Willows High School more than anybody else, which is to work in a school in the Isle of why I think I got it. Wight (which I loved when we Willows had become a kind of used to go on holiday there), which informal PRU. I can remember the also has its challenges. I was sick of EWO saying to me, “The best thing reading that its education system about this school you’re going to, was failing. Secondary-wise, there Joy, is they’ll take any kids from was only one good school on the SESSION: STUDENT-LED the city.” I’m thinking, “that doesn’t island so all the really clever, good RESEARCH AS A sound so good.” SPRINGBOARD FOR kids went there and everybody else CHANGING SCHOOL Yes, there were some very was mopping up the rest. CULTURE challenging kids there. But actually And I decided I wanted to do Alice Bassett, Queen Elizabeth’s some very challenging staff too, something about that. I’ve been at Grammar School and it was more of a task, when I Ryde Academy now for just over I liked how actual learning first went, for this Englishwoman a year. It’s part of the Academies ambassadors talked about the who was seen as coming in to tell Enterprise Trust. Can I just say programme – the real perspective. the Welsh what they were going to they’re fantastic people to work for, do with their school (and obviously you don’t feel as if they’re taking Good mix between teacher and couldn’t speak a word of Welsh) away your style or your personal student presentation. to make a difference. But what way of doing things. You’ve got the changed was I was able to relate freedom to do that but actually I also interviewed student to those kids and work with them, if you need them and you want presenter Emmie, and she said the get them to do what I wanted. And support, they’re there when it’s relationship between teachers and those kids started believing in asked. ambassadors improved, and the themselves because what I always We celebrate every success at ambassadors act as a ‘middle link’ said was, if somebody like me this school. And, actually, it’s is on between younger students and could do it, anybody could do it. the up: the results jumped up by teachers. And I still live by that philosophy. 20% in my first year. If you go to my school, if you’re I’ll just finish by saying I am Perhaps we should promote this to a parent of a child that goes to my so privileged to do this job. I hear our school? school as a student, my absolute people say all the time, “we don’t guarantee to you is: that no matter get thanked enough.” And do what, the staff that work for me you know what? I don’t think we will go the extra mile to make a need to be thanked. Every single difference to you and to your life. kid that we know we’ve made a difference to gives you something Tough lives, but incredible that you could experience in very resilience few jobs. And for kids like I was, ‘Educating Cardiff’ showed the who seemingly had no hope at story of the school. But while it all, teachers change lives. I’m showed some kids with such tough grateful for it and grateful to be in lives, they actually had incredible a profession where, actually, I can resilience. If the right teachers give some of that back.

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real appetite for success in our community. While some of our children grow up in homes where people have perhaps chosen less legitimate ways to reach their dreams, they really are some of the most aspirational families that you could ever wish to meet. And I’m not giving you that information to pave the way for making any excuses whatsoever for the achievement or the progress or the conduct of our students. On the contrary, actually, what’s driven me as a school leader and what’s steered me through the last 27 years, often leading in very vibrant, diverse communities Angelina Idun, senior Vice-Principal of Evelyn Grace Academy in where there’s a lot of challenge, is South London, has also worked in a number of international and the belief that the origin of a child, global programmes. the background of a child, the postcode in which that child lives Making the impossible Take a look at some numbers: – those things should never, ever possible? No, it’s not a typo: the • 50% of our year 7 children arrive determine the boundaries for what question mark indicates how I, and at school with level 1 to 3. a young person should achieve. other senior leader colleagues at • 56% are EAL students; some And I know this well myself my school, teachers, and staff feel come to us with no English at all, because, educated in South about the work that we do every often in year 9, 10 or even year London as well, I experienced day. 11. some inequalities that would Now, we’re located in Brixton, • 60% of our students are eligible probably shock a lot of people now. South London, a place where for free school meals – it should But that didn’t stop me and I was some very ordinary people – and be much higher, we’re having a fortunate on the way to meet some I’m talking about the adults in big drive with parents who are teachers who really inspired me our school community – make too proud, parents who just don’t and, you know, I suppose I wouldn’t extraordinary and unexpected make the effort, to make sure our be on this stage if it hadn’t been things happen every single day children get what they need. because of them. for the 900 or more 11-18 year • 73% of our students qualify for So, a quote attributed to olds who come to our school. pupil premium. Francis of Assisi is going to help But those same people are really • Our school is in the Coldharbour me explain to you the journey quite humble and modest about ward of Lambeth, in the top 10 that I’ve been on at the school I’m their achievements, because what most deprived wards in England currently in, having arrived there we do comes with significant and Wales. in 2012 with the third principal to challenge. This forces us, as a • Finally, a survey has shown that the school in that calendar year school community, to constantly Lambeth was rated the second and about 25-30 new members question whether individually and least peaceful place to live in the of staff. “Start by doing what is collectively we’re doing enough to UK. necessary, then what is possible, make sure that every single one and suddenly you are doing the of the children that comes to us is Looking at those figures, anyone impossible.” being equipped to lead a successful might say, “Leadership looks Now, my colleagues know me life. like an impossible task there. well for using the rule of three Why on earth would anyone do when I’m delivering CPD or it?” Well, that’s because there’s a leading on an initiative or taking

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an assembly. So I’m going to apply outlook on that – consistent everyone to win – that became that rule to the three lines of practice, underpinned by practical possible. Now, you might think Assisi’s quote. guidance, by support, by coaching. that a state-of-the-art school with a 100m running track would breed Necessary: a cultural shift Possible: widen horizons natural winners. That really wasn’t What was necessary at Evelyn What became possible at Evelyn necessarily the case before 2012. Grace Academy? A cultural shift Grace Academy as a result? Well, They say success breeds success, so in a school already reeling from a you might think this is simple, when a team of unlikely students lot of change over a short period but taking our children out and went out and came back with a of time. A cultural shift where we bringing a range of people from trophy, that caused a real ripple had to get everybody on board. different walks of life to the effect. By the way, that trophy was Everybody had to trust that with Academy – that became possible. for a spelling bee. And subsequent team EGA (Evelyn Grace Academy) The purpose? To enrich, to widen wins included debating, poetry working in the same direction, we horizons, and to expose our young slams, STEM maths challenges… could bring about positive change people to what their own futures not just sport. to benefit our children. Getting the could actually look like. We wanted And here’s the other thing staffing right was necessary. Some to expose them to the fact that if that became possible – we went difficult conversations. Trying to they took full advantage of what through two full inspections in get the right people on the bus in the right seats. But that also meant having to balance those difficult We wanted them to know that if they took full conversations with having the wisdom to actually build capacity advantage of the opportunities to get good academic and to build confidence. I suppose qualifications, great interpersonal skills, great it’s reminiscent of the idea of ‘love the one you’re with’. personal qualities – they too could be successful And making teaching and learning the focus was also was on offer to them – that’s the 18 months; the first was within necessary in that environment. opportunity to get a good set of two weeks of my arriving at the Not just to satisfy Ofsted, but academic qualifications, great school. The second time, when to break down some of those interpersonal skills, great personal those inspectors walked out of the barriers for some of the most qualities – they too could be room they left me, the principal, disadvantaged children. We successful. and a couple of senior colleagues had to be very practical in our ‘‘Winning and inspiring with our governors. We wept in

STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORTS

SESSION: LIMINAL LEADERSHIP – SESSION: OFSTED INSPECTION AND STEPHEN TIERNEY TEACHER WORKLOAD Ian Dawson, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School Ben Guest, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School Every comment had a purpose and meaning. It Allowed a lot of time (15 mins) for questions at the was a great presentation – and his pauses added end of the workshop to allow for people’s opinions emphasis. to be expressed – practical use of time. Made me realise the difficult/long process the school has to go SESSION: CASCADING CPDL through when Ofsted arrives. Bethany Trueman, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School This approach to professional development gives teachers ownership, and a chance to develop learning/teaching skills. The session was presented in a fun way, which made it inclusive and involving.

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(I’ve captured them on a little video clip). One quality, just one, that I want to mention, and it’s a quality that I’ve had to draw on time and time again as a leader: resilience. Richly rewarding our job might be, but it’s real and it’s relentless. The fragile nature of the community in which we work, coupled with internal and external distractions, measures, monitoring, consistently test your resilience. They consistently test your commitment. And they challenge the very values that brought you to that role in the first place.

Draw on the qualities you didn’t know you need, or had Think about the most challenging situations in which you’ve found yourself as a leader. Isn’t it the case that you often have to draw on qualities and skills that you didn’t know you need and that you didn’t know you had? Anyone who has taken an interest in our journey at Evelyn Grace Academy will tell you themselves – we’ve come a very long way. Parents, students, staff very quietly celebrate any achievements. It’s a never-ending journey, so my colleagues and front of those governors. And the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, I will continue to strive and to reason for that was – we’d just when they’re debating at Eton or ask ourselves: what more, what received a judgement of ‘good’ in Cambridge, when they’re horse different, can we do, individually all categories. You know what that riding at the Ebony Club, when and collectively, to set our children takes. they’re on the ski slopes in Austria, on the path to successful futures? when they’re in Madrid, when Those challenging numbers, Impossible: 100% of A-level they’re working with mentors from they don’t faze us. Those students to university Goldman Sachs or from JP Morgan. distractions, they don’t faze us. So, are we making the impossible We’re so proud of our first Because we believe that what we possible for our young cohort of A-level students who’ve do, it’s urgent and it’s important. people? Well, increasingly, achieved results to take 100% of That whole idea of making a our young people confidently them to university: 77% of them difference and saving lives, that’s embrace challenge. They seize to the first or second university of not a cliché. But what we believe opportunities, which puts them their choice. There are students is – we are equipping our young well out of their comfort zones. For who wanted to come with me people to make the impossible some it happens in the classroom, here today, to explain for you, possible for themselves in the for some it happens in exams, themselves, how the school is future. Thank you. but it also happens for them on making a difference to their lives

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I think leadership is at its strongest when the message is clearest; the foundations of excellent leadership are not particularly sexy. They’re just about the development plan, the appraisal cycle, and the core message needs to be able to be put on one page. I challenged my leadership team to put everything we’re prescriptive about in our school on one sheet. So, we have a mission statement that says everything is about learning, that we have the highest expectations, that we have an outstanding family that every stakeholder should want to come to everyday, built on an ethos of care, kindness, acceptance Nick Wergan, Headteacher, Steyning Grammar School, and celebration of diversity. We West Sussex, came to teaching after a successful career in take every opportunity to tell our investment banking. stakeholders that message. That then converts into Briefly, to put my ruminations the hamster wheel of the new our development plan. These on leadership into context: we’re a school development plan. priorities apply to every subject, large school – 2000 on roll, 11- Here are five quick reflections every faculty, every year team, 18. Steyning is a non-selective on leadership at Steyning our catering business, our grammar school and a 400 Grammar School that I want to premises teams – those are -year-old comprehensive, which share with you. their key directives. And this is perhaps tells you something about all I’m prescriptive about in the its complexity. We’re also part 1 Keep it simple school. Everything should be residential: 125 of our students live The first is that we need to about effective learning for every with us and we have a catchment ensure we have a core-business student. that’s semirural and coastal strip. message that every stakeholder We’re a split site, moving in 2017 understands. Sometimes I wonder 2 Invest in leadership to become a three-site school. when I’m talking about the school We can only achieve that through And we’re four years into what we development plan or our self- a commitment to high-quality call our aspirational journey to evaluation cycle, and I’m getting professional development. We excellence. these glazed looks from colleagues, have to invest in leadership to That mixture of complexity and whether that actually is my fault enable this to happen, and we aspiration means that leadership for having a too-complex system. added on that we have to have at every level is absolutely crucial So we’ve moved to a much a moral imperative to improve for us to deliver the best outcomes simplified school development outcomes for our disadvantaged for our students. plan and self-improvement cycle and bursary students. If you looked at any of the that tie into each other really We need to continually remind Belbin research1, completer- closely, really simply. We’re now colleagues, remind students, finishing is I think something that a long way from the doorstep remind parents, remind governors, school leaders are not particularly development plans and SEFs for where we are on our journey as a good at. Certainly it’s something Ofsted: it’s reduced to just three school, from a very interventionist I’m challenging our team to look key messages that every faculty, model three or four years ago, at. That is: let’s evaluate the impact every subject area, is going to towards effective learning in the of what we’ve done before we start deliver on. classroom for every single student.

1 www.belbin.com/belbin-in-education 31 TALKING HEADS

training support on those hard and Discussions on leadership included my PA, who heads our soft skills. And then we start to get administration team; our head of English; our head really effective leadership at every of premises; our head of history; and our bursar level. 4 Assumed or earned So we must invest in heads our administration team; autonomy? leadership. Moving into schools our head of English; our head of We’ve been looking this year at the from the banking industry, I’ve premises; our head of history; and idea of earned autonomy. Because found schools have a far greater our bursar. And the development if we have interviewed effectively commitment to training at their of their leadership capacity is for leadership, if we’ve supported core than business and industry. equally important for each of colleagues in developing their But I think schools haven’t those people, if we are to deliver leadership capacity, if we’ve had a strong enough investment our whole-school message. changed the culture so that leaders ‘‘in leadership. There’s been are asking for support in areas that an element of sink or swim: they find leadership more difficult, colleagues who are fantastic I then need to learn to let go. teachers are promoted into And, as a control freak, I’ve leadership positions which can found that hard! sometimes set them up to fail. So An example: I remember schools should have an effective several SSAT conferences ago we induction leadership training were talking about professional campaign that also identifies learning communities. And in Soft Hard skills? pathways for leadership at every skills? the first professional learning single level. That’s what we’re community when I became head putting in place. The model of leadership (above) at Steyning Grammar, I said, “You was part of my best guess at our can do whatever you like. In your 3 Drive leadership capacity way of supporting every colleague. professional learning, please do throughout the school I think every leader in our school whatever you like, so long as it We can have explicit leadership is interpreting that first page of delivers that core vision.” Three or questions in our interviewing, our development plan to look at four years on, the core drivers of explicit leadership panels if we’re how those highest expectations, our school development plan came interviewing colleagues for a that vision, can be implemented out of that first year. leadership position. as a plan for them. They’re then The second year, I thought, We’re talking a lot at this SSAT monitoring the impact of that “That’s fantastic. All that capacity, conference about the engine room plan, evaluating its effectiveness, all that great work. I tell you what, being middle leaders. I would and then modifying it as necessary I’m going to be directive. Now stretch that metaphor to: anyone to meet its core purpose. I’m going to make them focus at any position of leadership, At every stage of that cycle, entirely on lesson objectives and anywhere in our school, is there’s a different leadership skill assessment for learning within deserving and needing leadership that every colleague needs to be the lesson.” But that year of support and training if we’re going able to employ: professional learning communities to have effective capacity to deliver • the visionary and strategic was much less effective. Less on our core message. • the persuasive and consultative interesting work came out, A reflection of when I could • the delegative colleagues didn’t enjoy it, and I see that was working: we had a • the collaborative learnt again that letting go, once residential leadership training • the analytical leadership I’d set that clear framework, weekend last term; 36 colleagues • the directive leadership produced by far the best results. have been through it. I heard • the reflective leadership. So we call it earned autonomy, explicit discussions on leadership letting leaders go. But I think we following their ‘360’ meetings from Everyone in a position of have to call it assumed earned a group that included: my PA, who leadership in school needs explicit autonomy. The earned autonomy

32 TALKING HEADS

message for me makes it feel like – what was it I wanted to do when I We report and assess on those they’ve got to prove that they can would be headteacher? eight learning characteristics, do it before we’re going to let them What have we done that’s first; and academic progress only go. We actually have to assume brave, then, at Steyning Grammar afterwards. Our mentoring and that they have the skills because School? Yes, we celebrate diversity our pastoral assistance follow we’ve got that self-reflection on with an equalities programme the same pattern. And we truly leadership embedded in the school that’s exceptional. We link with believe, as the broadest possible ethos so they can lead in their employers for employability skills leadership team, that if we get own way, delivering on that school in a way that’s really different. this right we lead well according development plan. But learning characteristics is to these eight characteristics. Of course then, as heads, something where we have taken we’re looking for where that’s not our own tangent. These are our working. Our own triangulation eight: will guide us to where we need to step in and perhaps be more • Grit: perseverance, resilience and explicit with support. passion for long-term goals. • Growth mindset: understanding All we have to do to make 5 Be brave and optimistic that intelligence can be that smile real is get out My final reflections would be on developed through purposeful being brave and being relentlessly practice. there into our schools, walk optimistic. I can remember when I • Self-control with learning: not wasn’t a head, I constantly thought getting distracted, following around and see what the about what I would want to do if instruction and being organised students are doing I were headteacher. Being deputy with learning. is the hardest job in the world, • Self control with others: Then, transformational academic because you’re doing all the hard behaving appropriately around outcomes will be there, but work of a headteacher but you’re others, taking criticism and not as a by-product of something having to put in place somebody losing your temper. far more exciting – long-term, else’s vision. • Social intelligence: students flourishing as happy and And that’s what I continually understanding the feelings of successful young adults. try to remind myself about. Going others and using this to inform And I guess that’s my final back to the original pitch when your actions. reflection, about relentless I applied to be head: what did I • Gratitude: appreciating what optimism. We know how, when want to do? What was I going to do others do for you and doing nice we’re having a bad day, we cannot differently? All that boldness I had things in return. let it show on our face. And, like when I was a frustrated deputy, am • Curiosity: a strong desire to learn you, colleagues, I know that all we I achieving that as head? I don’t and to ask searching questions. have to do to make that smile real believe there is any such thing as a • Zest: an approach to life filled is get out there into our schools, closed door. Anything we can’t do, with excitement and energy; ‘zest walk around and see what the we find a way round. people’ are enthusiastic about students are doing. I continually try and remember most things they try.

STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT

SESSION: ‘PRIVATE SCHOOL’ OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN A STATE SCHOOL SITTING John Hinton, Melbourn Village College

It was about not just teaching straight-up subjects – English, maths, science, etc – but teaching students things they will use for the rest of their lives. Instead of making them ‘jack of all trades’, get them to master certain things that they want to focus on. I highly agree with a lot of the points that they were making. The resilience to keep going at a problem is probably a really good skill for people to have.

33 STUDENT PERFORMANCE Wilmington Grammar School for Girls

34 35 ‘‘

36 LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE SYSTEM LEADERSHIP SIR DAVID CARTER

ational Schools Commissioner Sir David Carter addressed the issues of system leadership, and offered delegates a sense of where they fit within this rapidly N changing world of education. Sir David said he sees the role of From the classroom up national schools commissioner He believes it is important to see Leadership Impact

through the lens of headship. “I try “the role of system leadership from Where the Leader Where the Influences Leader builds Confidence to remember the kind of decisions the perspective of the classroom Staff and the thought processes that I up, not the leadership down. Children Where the Leader went through when I was running Because a school’s culture starts Where the Delivers Leader Impact builds Parents Community a single school, when I was in the classrooms with teachers, Engagement running a MAT, when I came into with teaching assistants, with the Southwest role as regional everybody who is employed to added: “looking over your shoulder schools commissioner. Because if work with young people. Their job to ensure that people are coming I ever lose sight of that, some of as leaders is to grow, to think about with you, understanding their the messages I communicate to the development opportunities, role and the commitment you you may become disconnected and to get the best from the want them to make to a really big from the reality of your day-to-day coaching work that takes place.” difference in the system.” This work.” He described ‘the leadership applies just as much to a single school, a multi-academy trust or a Sir David noted that his messages to school leaders teaching school alliance. Educators need to build their may become disconnected from reality “if I ever lose communities’ confidence in sight of the decisions and thought processes I went education as the solution – not another problem to overcome. through when I was a head” “Because for many of you, working in quite challenging areas, parents He started teaching in 1983, triangle’, which has children at won’t believe that. Their own with a music degree, and taught its centre, amid the three points education experience in the 1970- music and PE for a number of of staff, parents, and carers and 90s wasn’t as good as it is today. years. “I’ve had the opportunity to the community. “When they are We have to convince them to be work for some fantastic heads, and really joined up around a core genuine partners in the journey seen middle leadership at its very understanding of the educational that we’re taking. And then, and ‘‘best, particularly when trying to challenges for the child, the only then, do you see the impact. set up and run the Cabot Learning school and the community, this But if we try to go from problem, to Federation in Bristol from 2007. All enhances the chances of the child’s solution, to impact too quickly, we that informs my thinking about education being successful.” don’t build a culture that sustains leadership.” It’s also about engagement, he it.”

37 LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE SYSTEM LEADERSHIP

I’m doing everything I can to children in England who are not get my classroom management being taught this morning in a techniques really working?’ But the good school. And the only people best middle leaders do enable that who will improve the system, to take place, he believed. improve those life chances, are He added that he sees more us. We are absolutely on track to He sees more heads “taking and more heads of individual having a schools-led, improving a step back from the schools “taking a step back from system, and that’s the right thing the operational expectations to to do. We have to trust our best operational expectations become expert quality assurers – leaders and our best teachers to to become expert quality pursuing that quest for truth about have the impact beyond their own the challenge and what we need to classrooms and beyond their own assurers” do next.” schools.”

Returning to his theme Over 1000 MATs are enabling of leadership starting in the system leadership classroom, Sir David said: “in our The 1025 MATs across the country schools this morning teachers all have an executive head or a up and down the country will be CEO, Sir David pointed out. “I The school that’s gone making leadership decisions about see this role as being the glue how they want learning to happen that binds our system leadership from special measures to in their classroom – without even together. Over 90% have come into realising it’s a leadership decision. those roles from the classroom, good arguably knows more And one of the challenges, I think, through headship. about school improvement for us is to start the thread of “But we cannot assume that leadership development in that the great heads of single schools than the school that’s been first year in teaching. will automatically become great outstanding for 10 years “Then, when a teacher executive leaders – because the becomes a middle leader, their job is different. How do you quality This government, he added, is challenge is to hone their own assure, how do you develop and still on a journey that every school practice, and develop the quality transmit effective practice at in this country will become an of the teaching around them.” distance?” In a MAT of 20 schools academy. “But not by 2022, and But sometimes it’s hard to make you might only bring your leaders not by compulsion. So it enables the school’s vision real for the together once a term, he noted. schools to think about the right people in their teams, because How do you make the most of that partnerships, the organisations the vision can be so ethereal. A time? How do you performance- and the groupings that will make a teacher might well ask, ‘how am manage at distance? difference to them.” I contributing to this vision, last “But here’s a challenge and an On the improving system, he lesson on a wet Wednesday, when opportunity. We have 1.3 million maintained that the school that’s

STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT

SESSION: ‘PRIVATE SCHOOL’ OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN A STATE SCHOOL SITTING Olivia Greenway, Melbourn Village College The theme was that students in private schools typically get more opportunities that increase life skills and prepare them for life, not just exams. It’s about pushing students to keep trying. State schools should teach confidence like private schools. I liked how they showed that if you show resilience, you can be just as good as someone from a more privileged background.

38 LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE SYSTEM LEADERSHIP

gone from special measures to they welcome that feedback with each other, we will have a good arguably knows more about themselves: the best MAT boards problem.” school improvement than the do 360 reviews of each other.” Sir David saw three ways to school that’s been outstanding In trusts that have an executive ensure that does not happen. for 10 years. He believed the new leader and a group of principals, First, he envisaged ‘mentor MATs’: £140 million strategic school each of the principals must have a experienced trusts that have improvement fund signals “a shift trust performance objective as well been around for five or six years, from mass conversion to mass as local ones for their own schools. have built their capacity, have improvement, which has to be the “Or even, in some cases, ask them built their systems, are effective right thing.” for a day a week to work across school improvers, will support, as the trust on a particular theme. a mentor, a new multi-academy What the best collaborations do Because the danger is, particularly trust for 2-3 years. The best collaborations between where trusts have grown from Another solution, especially schools and MATs, he said, five or six people who were equal, in rural communities, is MAT focus on getting teachers better and one of them has become the mergers, typically involving both resourced, better prepared, to executive leader, a gap begins to primary and secondary academies. teach better across the year. “And open up. How do you find a way Thirdly, he valued where that’s not done in mass training. to tie in all of the leaders, and to local authority maintained good It’s bespoke, it’s one-to-one, it’s recognise their contribution to the and outstanding schools are triads, it’s coaching, it’s mentoring. whole trust?” supporting academies, or MATs are It’s showing people what good supporting maintained schools. looks like. It’s about building leadership capacity at every level.” Such collaborations also have Before a small MAT grows, “I want them to be really sure an element of moral purpose. that the commitment they’re making to the children that “How you respond when a school down the road has just gone into they already educate will not be damaged by taking on a category? At one level, it’s as more schools” simple as picking up the phone to that head and checking that Sustainable trusts to have 1000 “Whether it’s through a service they’re OK. Because if you’ve had children level agreement, a partnership that experience, it’s devastating He believed that sustainable trusts, or some kind of an associate and you feel very isolated and very which will can build capacity to relationship, this enables children lonely. improve schools, need an initial who are in schools that are RI, “At the other level, it’s saying, target of some 1000 children, and serious weaknesses or special ‘What do you need from me? What can build from there. “You don’t measures, to get the support that can we do to help you?’ We’re‘‘ not have to do it overnight, I don’t they need far quicker than we’ve talking about getting them to join think you need to do it in one go. been able to do it.” our MATs, though that might come But you need to have a view that He ended with the stark figure later, but ‘Today, what do you need? that’s where you’re trying to get to.” of the 1.3 million children who How can we help you?’ Currently, however, 82% of are not yet in a great school. “That, “That system leadership MATs have no more than five colleagues, is going to be our capacity, not just to empathise, schools. But before they grow, “I biggest challenge. But I’ve never but to move quickly to help others want them to go through a health felt more confident that we’ve got is in your hands, in your local check. I want to be really sure that the right people in the system, and communities. the commitment they’re making I want to work closely with you to “I think the best system to the children that they already achieve this.” leaders have to see the MAT educate will not be damaged by fundamentally as a school taking on more schools.” improvement vehicle. They are Collaboration must be between really good at holding people MATS as well as within them, he to account at distance, and added. “If MATs don’t collaborate

39 40 LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: WHY WE NEED IT PROFESSOR ANDY HARGREAVES

rofessor Andy Hargreaves, Thomas Moore Brennan chair in education, Boston Col- lege, USA, put a persuasive case for leading from the middle, with powerful exam- P ples from within and outside education, of its benefits and how it works In the current age of academic Wellbeing inside your schools. And when achievement and effort, the French economist Thomas Piketty your children arrive and they’re questions that schools, systems, recently wrote a bestselling book finding it difficult to achieve, it’s and countries have been asking with data showing that since the not because you’re not trying themselves include: how are we 1980s worldwide, but particularly hard enough or you’re not driving doing? How do we know? How can in English-speaking countries, up standards with sufficient we improve and get better over wealth has become increasingly focus on a three-part lesson. It’s time? concentrated among smaller because some of your children Referring to the triennial PISA proportions of the population. may have experienced around results, of which the latest was “And as Wilkinson and Pickett seven incidences of post-traumatic imminent, professor Hargreaves have shown, the greater the gaps stress. said: “The evidence is pretty compelling: the way to achieve excellence is by concentrating on Focus on equity first. Then, as the range of results gets equity. Pretty much every country you look at that has an inclusive smaller, and the severity of behaviour problems reduces, public system. Take Finland: what you do is you focus on equity first you can move everybody up. Equity is the way to excellence and then as the range of results gets smaller, and the severity of between wealth and poverty, “Imagine if you’ve seen your behaviour problems reduces, you the more problems societies house burned down, or one of your can move everybody up. Equity is face in terms of wellbeing. parents shot in front of you, or the way to excellence. We should Whether you’re looking at been uprooted unwillingly from talk about equity and excellence, educational achievement, obesity, your country, or have never been not about excellence and equity. alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, to school for the entire period of “These are the driving questions or incarceration: where the your life; and then you show up in the age of achievement and inequalities are greatest is where in school and you have to do a effort. They will stay with‘‘ us, and also you find the worst problems in standardised achievement test. so they should. It is important terms of wellbeing. “These are the children that that every child has opportunity, “The greatest global refugee we see before us, and it’s one of that social mobility is there for crisis for 70 years is bringing the biggest challenges posed for everybody, including an opportunity different people to our shores and them and for everybody else about to go to school and to move on to different people into our schools. issues of identity, engagement and higher education afterwards.” The world out there is the world wellbeing.

41 LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: WHY WE NEED IT

“According to a report last of the world of no limits. You can in a single individual: a few year from the Department of say anything, you can do anything years ago the historian Gary Public Health, the average class – because you don’t have to deal McCulloch wrote about ‘how of 15-year-olds looks something with people face-to-face. This is often policymakers base their like this: six may be self-harming; the world of Donald Trump, giving educational policies on their seven are likely to have been the impression that to be a leader own particular biographies and bullied; ten are likely to have their own experiences of being at witnessed their parents separate. school.’ Our biographies are not These are the children you have always relevant to other people. We to educate, that you care for as cannot base the teaching of today well as teach.” But, he stated, the for everyone on the teaching we classroom can be a great source of personally experienced yesterday children’s wellbeing. “It’s in what The classroom can be a as children. you do with the students, so they “And we cannot base the become totally involved in what great source of children’s policies of today on the individual they are learning, how they are wellbeing… when they experiences we had of schools learning and why they are learning when we were children. We it.” become totally involved in must base them on evidence, on inclusion, on opportunity, on the Negative effects of technology what they are learning leaders who come around the table Young people’s mental health and and figure out what is best for most wellbeing can also be harmed by today is to be somehow, somebody, of us. You bring to it something the effects of the internet. OECD something on Reality TV. of you are, but you listen to who has found that the countries “We live in an age of what everyone else is as well. implementing technology most Barbara Kellerman calls bad “And that is leading from the quickly are the ones making leadership, which has two middle. It is leading through all of least progress in terms of forms. Malicious or malevolent us.” achievement. “Some of that is bad leadership, and incompetent and Drawing a comparison with implementation but some of that ineffective leadership. And with the human body, he said, “when is also because of the negative the worst leaders, you don’t know you’re leading from the middle, it’s effects of technology. whether they’re being malevolent not just your head and your feet “Five years ago when I went or incompetent or a combination that matter – keeping your head, into schools and asked people, of the two. having your feet on the ground, ‘how’s technology showing up in thinking a way forward – it’s all the your school?’, they mainly listed Why lead from the middle? other bits that matter. positive reasons. They talked “So why is this an argument for “Instead of being lily-livered about other schools they can leading from the middle? Because in the face of obstacles, do you connect with across the world, we cannot and should not try to have the heart for a challenge? Do how they could access information invest all our leadership hopes you have the stomach for what independently, how students could in one person who could save us, will face you, including all the have more voice. who could move us forward. What opposition? Do you have the gall “Now, the first thing teachers matters is who we are together as to carry things forward despite talk about is cyber bullying in a community – straight and gay, being called ridiculous or stupid adolescent girls. For example, the women and men, people of all or crazy because you’re daring to two feminists who advocated for cultures, countries and fates. It’s do something different? The head Jane Austen’s image to go on the how we are together that should and the feet are important but the back of the £10 note in England define us. Not investing all the heart, the stomach and the gall have, every day since, been subject hopes in a black man or a white of leadership are what will really to torrents of violent abuse woman, or any other identity who mark out your character and the threatening death, rape, all kinds will somehow represent all of us. character of all those around you, of other ignominy. “There’s another reason we all the time. “What we’re seeing is a sense shouldn’t invest all our hopes

42 LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: WHY WE NEED IT

In schools A key factor in these “If you’re in a school, your middle innovations is that “the teachers is your teachers, your bus driver, are driving it, not the principal. your secretary, your caretaker, and But the principal creates the to some extent, your kids as well. platform and the framework It’s the critical mass of people who within which that leadership are driving the school forward.” can take place. This is where the He described work he and middle is in your school. For the STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT colleagues are undertaking in school leaders, sometimes it just Ontario, Canada with 10 school means getting out of the way, at districts, “including a school in other times creating a platform for the far north in an aboriginal this leadership to come forward. community in which they have This way, you get breakthroughs a lot of kids with foetal alcohol in teaching and learning that syndrome. And when kids have you might not otherwise. And foetal alcohol syndrome, they sometimes the school leaders are seemingly can’t concentrate, they learning as much from their staff Lucy Herring, Queen Elizabeth’s can’t sit still. as the staff are from them.” Grammar School “So at first, when we saw the school seven years ago, these kids SESSION: OFSTED who misbehaved used to get sent INSPECTION AND TEACHER WORKLOAD to see the deputy head. Now they Clear information. Good at don’t, the teachers keep them in answering questions. the class, but try to create a more active classroom. They put kitchen cupboards in so the kids could We cannot and should not try SESSION: STARTING IN HEADSHIP; SETTING make things, could get actively to invest all our leadership STRATEGIC VISION involved. But then they found the The speaker was passionate kids started climbing the kitchen hopes in one person about what he could do as a cupboards, physically climbing the headteacher for his school. He walls. So what did the teachers do Among schools was good natured and good then? They put a climbing wall in What does leading from the the classroom. Now, when the kids middle look like among schools? humoured, made eye contact need to climb, they climb. They Professor Hargreaves pointed and hand gestures to make get it out of their system for three to SSAT’s Raising Achievement the audience feel included. He or four minutes, then they can sit Transforming Learning project thought carefully about caring for down for another 20 minutes. Now involving 300 schools, which the students and helping them they can concentrate. Now they Boston College had evaluated. All with anything they need. He was can focus. these schools had been struggling, not judging kids on just one test. “Another thing the teachers yet within three years 200 of have found is that indigenous them had improved at double the kids who show no leadership or national average rate. This was learning within the classroom have achieved, he said, “by putting all in an experimental programme the struggling schools together. shown remarkable learning Because then you discover it’s on the ice-hockey rink, and in not just you, and by pairing them the changing rooms. So the PE at their choosing, with higher department is working with performing schools that could help regular classroom teachers to them (and some funding), they develop cross-curricular skills that were able to compare and benefit are transferable from the hockey from what others are doing. These rink into the regular classroom.” were the beginning of federations.

43 LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: WHY WE NEED IT

The teachers are driving it, not the principal. But the principal creates the platform and the framework within which that leadership can take place

“In Hackney, inner London, thinking to countries. “It took The impossible dream all the secondary schools are us two years to get a group of “Having the impossible dream, academies, but it’s in their contract eight countries/administrations together, is absolutely critical. that they must spend part of and their ministers to meet in But you also need relentless their time helping other Hackney Reykjavík, Iceland and to decide perseverance, determination and schools that are struggling. The how they can lead each other and hard work. It’s essential for you as result is, all the schools in the lead the world in terms of these an individual, but in these very ‘‘borough improve. And as all these values: dark times that we are in globally, schools improve, the parents keep their kids in Hackney, and • excellence broadly defined the community gets stronger. • equity of all kinds The social capital gets stronger. • inclusion of all students, You focus on equity and it gives whatever their identity or everybody a lift. You then get disability excellence. • democracy and human rights English education is the “You (schools in England) have (which means some countries a lot further to go, but it’s clear can’t join this… yet).” paradigm case of that you’re ahead of a lot of other positive collaboration, countries in this, you really are. These countries’ advisors, I talk about English education including Ken Robinson, Pasi whereby you think about to audiences in the rest of the Sahlberg from Finland, and other people, and not just world as the paradigm case of “Vicky Colbert who’s built 20,000 positive collaboration, whereby schools with active pedagogies in yourself you think about other people, and Columbia”, are all donating their not just yourself. Sometimes with time for free. There is no budget, which could become significantly the government, but sometimes no foundation, no investment. “It darker unless we all act together, despite the government. It’s a great is, in a way, completely impossible. it’s important to close with the strength of the system.” Yet so far we have Ireland, words of Helen Keller from The Iceland, Scotland, Finland, the 43 Crucible who said, ‘Walking with Among countries million people state of California, a friend in the dark is better than Andy Hargreaves is now involved Vermont, Aruba and Ontario walking alone in the light’. in an ambitious plan to apply the together in the same place to same ‘leading from the middle’ examine these issues.

44 LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: WHY WE NEED IT

STUDENT PERFORMANCE Blythe Bridge High School and Sixth Form

45 STUDENT PERFORMANCE Lordswood Girls’ School

46 WORKSHOP REPORTS

DON’T GET LOST IN THE BUSYNESS AND THE PERNICIOUS ACCOUNTABILITY

In this workshop, Stephen Tierney discussed key aspects of his new book on liminal leadership – building bridges across the chaos. Here are some highlights.

Reflecting on 30 years of working in schools while writing Liminal Leadership created a certain sense of perspective. Liminality describes a transitional stage, one between two worlds; a stage that may be different schools, I believe now is a time for slow ambiguous or disorientating. I think this may be purposeful leadership. It’s about doing less better. It’s where we are in schools: either standing at a threshold about focusing firmly and squarely on developing great that may see the teaching profession as diminished teaching, assessment and learning; strange as it sounds ‘deliverers’ of preordained curriculum content; or, more this takes courage. Courage not to be distracted by the positively, the lynchpin around which great schools are urgent issue or the latest fad. built. It is a challenge to blend three key elements – data, It is all too easy to become lost in the busyness experience and research – into a coherent narrative of the day job and have your moral compass twisted that can support pupils, teachers and schools to get and contorted by a pernicious accountability system. that little bit better, each and every day. Before you know it you are lost, exhausted and Moving beyond ‘informed’ to ‘wise’ challenges us to wondering whether the job is worth it. work with a greater amount of uncertainty and more The key role of school leaders is to systematically nuanced conclusions. A lesson observation tells you build enriching cultures in which staff and pupils may only so much about the quality of teaching, likewise thrive and flourish. Building this culture will require book scrutinies. The crushing grades or judgements leaders to be focused, informed and ethical. made in some schools lack validity, fairness – and, arguably, common sense. The key role of school leaders is to systematically build Scrabble to climb performance tables Within this judgemental system it is not just teachers enriching cultures in which who are becoming disenfranchised. The single-minded staff and pupils may thrive drive for examination results is seeing some pupils, and flourish particularly in the latter secondary school years, pushed out of the system. It is part of a deeper issue that sees people as percentage points in a scrabble Time for slow, purposeful leadership to climb performance tables. We need to ensure In sharing decades of successes and failures, in four that our schools are ethical institutions, welcoming

47 WORKSHOP REPORTS

and nurturing all, including our most damaged What was the balance of male and female verbal and disadvantaged young people; it is a collective contributions? responsibility. Achieving highly in school or career can be a Not performance management good thing – but the person we become as we do so is From the start, it was made clear to everyone involved arguably more important. Moving beyond ethical to that the programme relies on trust and respect on humane, our schools need to be places where people both sides. After some initial anxieties, both LAs can be fully alive. and teachers now value this process. The teacher union representatives involved were also concerned, Stephen Tierney is chief executive of Blessed Edward headteacher Clive Corbett admitted, “until we made Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust and on twitter it absolutely clear that this was not some sort of as @LeadingLearner. SSAT has distributed copies of backdoor performance management. It’s not about his book Liminal Leadership to members. blame.”

The learning ambassadors programme relies on trust and STUDENT-LED RESEARCH INCLUDES respect on both sides ‘LEARNING AMBASSADORS’ More than 30 teachers, representing all departments, now take part. Neil Harding, head of In this workshop, leaders and students from technology and learning ambassador lead, explained Pershore High School, a 12-18 academy, that next year a different member of each department demonstrated the ways in which student will take part. ‘learning ambassadors’ have contributed to school Comments from students included: “It’s interesting improvement, as well as directly evaluating to see the teacher’s reaction to observations given from teaching and learning. a different perspective”; “teachers now make lessons more innovative and fun”; “the programme has made The basic approach is for a learning ambassador (LA) to teachers more flexible in the way they teach”; and “it’s go into other lessons and subsequently give the teacher improving our education.” their immediate, direct and confidential feedback. The 36 LAs (16 girls and 20 boys) are given specific training “Good feedback from students” on their role by community interest company Schools And from teachers: “I wasn’t sure about it at first, but of Tomorrow, whose joint MD Malcolm Groves also now the learning ambassador system is absorbed contributed to this workshop. into everything we do. It’s part of our processes”; The LAs’ observations take place once every half “The ambassadors are very observant and give good term. Typical questions addressed by the LAs include: feedback”; “It has turned out to be very useful to get the did the students understand? What was the quality of students’ point of view. If we had only the teachers’, we feedback in the lesson? How would you describe the might be getting the wrong end of the stick.” atmosphere in the class? What proportion of activities LA Emmie Bewley emphasised that their role was was undertaken by students, and what by the teacher? not to criticise, but “to feed back what we have seen…

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SESSION: STUDENT-LED RESEARCH AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR CHANGING SCHOOL CULTURE Ana Schafer, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School The session was about learning ambassadors within the student body, showing that leadership is embedded within student opinion, and student voice is relayed in a professional manner. I liked that they’d brought the student voice into the workshop.

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At first I was worried about it, but it’s a conversation, Neil Harding and Schools of Tomorrow are now also not formal, and I quickly became more confident.” working with a number of other schools on learning Fellow LA Hugh Jeavons noted that the programme has ambassador programmes. gained further impetus since Ofsted has been placing more emphasis on students being involved in their own learning.

LA Emmie says their role was HMI’S NATIONAL DIRECTOR REVEALS not to criticise, but “to feed A MORE COLLEGIATE, EVEN HUMAN, back what we have seen… it’s a conversation, not formal” APPROACH Sean Harford HMI, national director, education Head Clive Corbett explained that this programme at Ofsted, gave a valuable update on “what Ofsted stemmed from the leadership team’s concern to ensure inspections are like now.” This included debunking that throughout the school teaching and learning some myths – beliefs among schools that may should focus not only on achievement but also on have been true in the past but are no longer. Colin wellbeing, preparation for adult/working life, and Logan, SSAT’s head of accountability and data, engagement with family and community (in line with who introduced the speaker, confirmed that many Schools of Tomorrow’s vision). schools and even some inspectors are still not fully aware of the inspectorate’s now broader, more All students can raise questions collegiate and less data-driven approach. To this end, Emmie Bewley added, the student researchers asked all students in years 8/9, via Mr Harford oversees all Ofsted policy for questionnaires, whether they thought there was inspections of schools, early years, colleges, enough challenge in lessons, and how challenge could apprenticeship and prison education. He explained be increased. that inspectors are now required to make just four A major result of the programme, Emmie believed, judgements in a full section 5 inspection: was a change in students’ attitudes: they now perceive that they own their own learning, and are in • effectiveness of leadership and management partnership with the teachers to improve learning. • quality of teaching, learning and assessment The school leaders have become confident in • personal development, behaviour and welfare; the value of this work. “We assessed how valid the • pupils’ outcomes. youngsters’ observations were,” said Clive Corbett, “and now we use them in school improvement planning.” The ‘golden thread’ through all this, he stated, is Generalised reports on the LAs’ findings are shared always their assessment of whether safeguarding is with the management team, and the governing body. effective. “We’re still learning through this process, and I think it’s enormously important to what we do.”

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Risks of converting a shorter inspection If the inspector is impressed with what they see in a school previously rated good, they can call in a fuller team, converting the inspection to a section 5, with the potential for the school to be upgraded to outstanding. However, this has a potential downside: the full inspection could also then decide that the school no longer deserved its ‘good’ rating, and downgrade it to RI or SM. As Harford put it: “any of the grades are still possible.” However, he added that last year a third of inspections were converted to a section 5. Of these, only 10% were downgraded. And he confirmed that a school could still become outstanding even if pupil outcomes were below average, “so long as they were progressing strongly towards average”. He agreed with comments by incoming HMCI Amanda Spielman at a recent conference, that the same quality of SLT and staff Professional dialogue teams would typically achieve higher attainment A significant change in inspectors’ approach is the in leafy suburbs than in socially deprived areas. “A commitment to “greater professional dialogue” during quarter of RI schools actually have good leadership and inspections, in which it is envisaged that school leaders management: we’re picking that up.” will sit down with inspectors to discuss the school’s issues and the actions being taken – before the tour of Schools with pupil outcomes the school with the senior leaders. below average could still This is in marked contrast to the common perception among schools that in the past inspectors become outstanding “so long have made up their minds based on data alone, before as they were progressing they even set foot in the place. strongly”

“Professional dialogue” In these circumstances, the inspector is considering replaces inspectors’ data- four key themes, he said: an emphasis on the impact of key judgements made by the school’s leadership; the based decisions impact of its culture; safeguarding; and whether it has a broad and balanced curriculum. The shorter inspections for schools previously On the latter point, the inspectorate has found that judged at least good, taking one day every three years science and modern foreign languages in primary or so, make just two judgements: “does it still seem like schools have suffered because of the strong current a good school (we are not looking at the detail here)?; emphasis on maths and English: this may in fact be and is safeguarding effective?” harming schools’ provision of a broad curriculum.

STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT

SESSION: LIMINAL LEADERSHIP – STEPHEN TIERNEY Ben Robson, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School I thought it was very entertaining and thought provoking. It offered an alternative viewpoint on leadership. Afterwards, when asked what were the key qualities of a school leader, he said “Being informed, being ethical and being reliable.”

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No longer data driven Another major shift in emphasis is the focus on evidence, “not data, we are not data driven”. This includes:

• Discussions with the school’s senior leaders, pupils, parents and staff • The school’s self-evaluation (not necessarily the formerly compulsory SEF) • National tests/exams and attendance data • The school’s own assessments • Direct observation of practice • Surveys of parents, pupils and staff got used to all the recent changes in approach, he • Other documentation such as the school’s website. recommended that school leaders “challenge them – politely point out to the inspector who does ask for The Ofsted handbook now places more emphasis these that the request does not comply with the latest on pupils’ current progress, rather than on a school’s clarification for schools.” historical performance. Lessons and progress are not Sean Harford allowed plenty of time for questions, graded by inspectors. “We look to get an across-the- and handled even those with an edge to them with piece impression of teaching and the students’ work,” calm, positive authority. For example, to a questioner Harford explained. who stated that Progress 8 and RAISEonline are Surveys of parents’ views have free text boxes “brutal”, he responded, “inspectors absolutely will not for general comments, and can be used during an make judgements on one year’s data.” inspection. His final point was on a more fundamental He rightly emphasised a number of things Ofsted question: should schools change their curriculum inspectors should not be doing. These include: to maximise their performance against a national measure? “Absolutely not. You must do what is right for • Expecting to see marking of pupils’ work done in a your pupils.” particular way. • Evidence of oral feedback. • Performance/assessment information presented in a particular way. • A particular proportion of pupils taking the eBacc. • Expecting to see lesson plans, “just planned lessons USING FEAR AND FUN IN CONTINUING – lessons that make sense over a period of time in a PROFESSIONAL LEARNING planned curriculum.” Saarah Nijaila, Sara Read, Tracey Kelley and He referred delegates to the School Inspection Hannah Dabbs, Excelsior Academy, show the value Handbook, pp 9-11, and Ofsted clarification for schools2. of CPL that can be nerve-wracking, but also fun It was clear that the inspectorate is now being and developmental. driven by an understanding of some of the major Excelsior Academy has been working towards more problems teachers face, such as excessive marking of practical continuing professional learning (CPL), and students’ work, which “is sometimes killing in its sheer this workshop showed some of the techniques and volume,” said Harford, who also pointed to the absence approaches. of research evidence showing that marking has a direct The school’s CPL cycle includes: identifying pupil link to progress. And he deplored previous expectations needs and staff training needs, workshop choices, in some subjects that every pupil should fill an exercise grouping and timing of workshops, personalised book each term. “However, we might have questions if timetables for evaluation, and staff reactions leading to only one essay was done in two terms…” new approaches. The aim is to provide “take-away, practical, useful What to do if inspectors stick to the old routines? information,” explained Saarah Nijaila, assistant Recognising that not all Ofsted inspectors have principal for teaching and learning. CPL activities are

2 http://bit.ly/2jAS4rI 51 WORKSHOP REPORTS

Other staff members’ comments included:

• The occupational therapy they had recently experienced was “absolutely fabulous: it really helped me in working with pupils.” • “My skills improved in a short period of time.” • “We feed back to the group where we need to improve, and it shows us where to go.”

The team got conference delegates involved in a number of ‘games’ aimed at developing the young people’s basic skills in fun ways, such as a version of rock-paper-scissors that led to practice in multiplication. A similar approach is used in the staff groups. The finale of this workshop was ‘protocol pinata’, in which each delegate had to write an in-school problem on a post-it note and post it through a slot in the back of a highly decorated cardboard donkey. Then group members had to whack the donkey with sticks until it fell apart, after which delegates each chose a problem and wrote a solution to it. This exercise led to much laughter, but also some useful discussions. So the final Excelsior staff comment on film about the CPL was particularly apt: “It puts colleagues out of their comfort zones at first, it was nerve wracking – but non-hierarchical: they want to show all colleagues, we all got a lot out of it.” teaching and non-teaching alike, that “you can get involved, you can have an influence.” It puts colleagues out of their comfort zones at first, it was They want to show all nerve wracking – but we all got colleagues, teaching and non- a lot out of it. teaching alike, that “you can get involved, you can have an influence”

Coaching activities take place in 30-minute weekly slots during the school day. They can discuss anything TO BUILD AN INNOVATIVE CULTURE, relevant to the classroom, especially anything affecting children with particular needs. YOU MUST TAKE RISKS Some groups involve students as well. This all- through school applies a model using mixed groups Robin Hood multi-academy trust, which comprises from primary to sixth form, collaborating on different two primary schools and a third with a service issues. level agreement, was set up in September 2016 Both pupils and staff were shown on film expressing to “do things totally away from the educational the enjoyment and value they gained from this norm,” as executive headteacher Steve Taylor put approach. One of the staff members particularly it in opening his presentation. appreciated the fact that “we have a valid impact on “As leaders, we are pushed more and more down children with EAL and SEN. We get to experience what the road of conformity,” he said, citing the KS2 reading other people are doing, and it helps us to become more SATs of 2016, which in his view were “set up to scupper outward looking.” the chances of many children from deprived areas. I

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fundamentally do not agree with setting a test that is Robin Hood MAT adopts an entirely different more geared towards the middle classes.” approach to the norm. So what are the options for school leaders? To him, there is only one: “not to be complicit with what you • “There is no pressure about trying to get through are being told to do. To stand up, be counted, do things the curriculum as quickly as possible – we focus on that you believe will make a difference to the children working at depth. Quality over quantity.” rather than everything you are being directed to do.” • They teach Mandarin (not French or Spanish), from He gave the example of ‘Jack’, whom he taught 10 nursery to year 6, and pupils are assessed using tests years ago in a “good but not outstanding” school in from China. Solihull. “In old money, he was at level 2 in reading, • Their goal is to focus on entrepreneurship as well as writing and maths. We tried, he still struggled. He academic subjects, even at primary stage. One of the had no support from his parents. Yet if there was one current projects is for the children to build and race child who would go on to be a millionaire and go on a go-kart – pedal-powered at first, but the plan is to and change something, it would be Jack. In year 6, follow it up with a powered version. he started his own business chopping up logs to sell • Year 5 pupils have built a rocket with the aid of a to filling stations. He is innovative, a pioneer. Yet the 3D printer which, attached to a hot air balloon, was education system says he’s a failure. In the 2016 KS2 launched into ‘space’ with the approval of the air SATs reading, writing and maths combined scores we’re authorities (albeit it had to be at 5am). effectively telling 47% of kids they are failures before they even get to secondary school. It’s a flawed system.” However, the approach is not impetuous: “we don’t just throw it in and hope it works, which happens In year 6, Jack started his own too often in education. First we have to answer the business chopping up logs to sell question: what impact are we trying to have? We have to step away and give time to gain a clear vision, to filling stations. He is innovative, allow ourselves some thinking time. Only then can a pioneer. Yet the education you assess properly and know exactly where you are system says he’s a failure heading.”

STUDENT JOURNALIST REPORT

Elle Mcilwaine, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

SESSION: CASCADING CPDL Teachers have more responsibilities than I expected.

SESSION: THE ROLE OF THE MIDDLE LEADER Informative, introduced new concepts. I learnt how I could be a successful leader.

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peg solutions… changing behaviour is rarely simply a matter of providing new information.”

Good evidence is vital, but “changing behaviour is rarely simply a matter of providing new information”

Nevertheless, in seeking to improve education, he noted, “what else can we do other than using evidence?” The potential benefits of research engagement include: • informed changes to practice (eg questioning, metacognition, feedback) • improved pedagogical expertise • professional engagement – in understanding how children learn (“how will that work in your classroom, now?”).

Yet there is a deliberate acceptance of risk-taking He pointed to one example of counterintuitive in this MAT’s approach: “failure is not the opposite of methods that research has proven effective: periodic success; it’s part of success.” reviews of a topic, drawing on research relating to In typical fashion, then, Steve Taylor noted that spacing and inter-leaving, to help consolidate memory. Robin Hood is deliberately not aiming for a label of He gave four vital strategies schools use in engaging ‘outstanding’, but to be a flagship for other schools to everyone in research: follow. 1 Understanding the key principles, processes and implications of educational research.

2 Addressing issues that matter to teachers CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR (“volition”). RESEARCH ENGAGEMENT IN YOUR 3 Ethos, SLT support and a senior person being SCHOOL responsible for integrating research across the school’s life. Ben White, director for research and development at Ashford Teaching Alliance and member of the 4 Structures: resources (including time), support Committee for Evidence Based Education (CEBE), but with autonomy in developing and evaluating new gave practical tips to help schools get all colleagues practices (eg in marking, lesson planning, feedback, engaged in research to improve education. homework).

He started his workshop by asking, “what does In applying the strategies, he suggested there evidence tell us about good education?” A timely are five stages:clarify what you want to do; explore question, in the week before release of the latest PISA what’s happening; consult – identify the principles results. He noted that the government white paper and insights that have been established; engage Education Excellence Everywhere is inconsistent – design, implement and test new approaches or on this subject, stating in one place that it is about strategies (including experience in other schools, etc); “outcomes not methods” (1:17) and in another and evaluate – does it merit adoption, refining, or “evidence which tells us what works and what doesn’t” abandoning? (2:54). Many schools will find this process more CEBE is clear that while making proper use of complicated than it seems. For example, he said, a good evidence is vital, it “does not produce off-the- recent report found it was common for schools to have

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100+ policies. Often, nobody knew them all, and some more challenging questions. Ben White believes it is were contradictory. important to get across the message that ‘learning is But regardless of the outcome of these questions, about thinking hard.’ staff will have been engaging in research, so even if a project is abandoned after analysis shows it does not Some students are reluctant to work as hoped, it is still a useful exercise, in Ben White’s answer questions because they view. don’t want to be seen to make Research into questioning in class mistakes For example, he cited some of the findings of recent research into teachers’ questioning practices, which To overcome this issue, some teachers have identified common faults. Some lessons included no employed a style of exercise book where on each open questions; others had questions for which the double page spread one side is lined, the other blank. teaching assistants could not see the purpose. The unlined page is used for rough working, and “can Some students were reluctant to answer questions, be as messy as you like”; it is an important part of the revealing the need to get them to understand that learning process, he pointed out. “it’s ok to make mistakes”. These students commonly CEBE’s forthcoming guide to evidence-based believed their teacher would not be happy if they practice in schools will include a growing body of case made a mistake, so the student would avoid taking on studies with practical examples of evidence-informed

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SESSION: DOMINIC PECKHAM, CONDUCTOR AND CHORAL EXPERT Mary Yates, Melbourn Village College

His theme was, when out of your comfort zone, is the first thing you say no? If you never push or try, you will never achieve! He taught me to listen, throw myself in the deep end and push my limits to achieve.

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practice (as used by Martin Griffin and Stephen Oakes is going on at school that day on pebbles (eg “excited”, in The A Level Mindset). Among these are 18 revision “sad”, “special”, “safe”…), which are collected to make activities, which include taking notes, writing exam attractive and meaningful displays. The motivation and answers, and the student marking/setting their own happiness of staff are also key considerations in this questions. school.

CEBE is constantly aiming to refine its model of St Mary’s Catholic Academy, Blackpool: its approach research engagement in schools, and Ben White, who to improving the quality of teaching, focusing on is also director of curriculum and head of sociology at assessment, expected learning, pedagogy, student Highworth Grammar School, encourages schools to behaviour and outcomes, has been remarkably share their experiences and case histories: successful. The school’s motto is: ‘A place to believe, a [email protected] place to behave, a place to become.’

Oulder Hill Community School, Rochdale: sees leadership as a function of the combined group, including students. “On our visit it was the kids who took us round; the head and senior leadership team had almost disappeared!”, Dave Harris recalled.

Halewood Church of England Primary: an ‘inside-out’ school, where staff wellbeing is recognised as key to the school’s success. Winner of the 2015 Educate Award for most inspirational primary school in the North-West.

What makes the difference? Four things, he maintained: shared values, trust, professional learning, and moving from a ‘find and fix’ mentality to one of ‘predict and prevent’. And the biggest effect on DIALOGUES OF POSSIBILITY – TOOLS teacher learning is “the headteacher being part of it FOR LEADERS themselves.” Taking risks Dave Harris, a director of Independent Thinking, Given the conference theme of making the impossible a Carmarthen-based education group which for possible, a number of speakers had spoken of the need 20 years has been aiming to ‘enrich people’s lives for school leaders to take risks – but also the threat by changing the way they think,’ explored some to their jobs if they did not conform. However, Harris of the work he and his colleagues had undertaken did not see this as cause for alarm: “if you’re doing the with schools and school leaders, sometimes by right thing and you lose your job, know that you’ll find swimming in the opposite direction to common another one that is well-paid and rewarding. You have beliefs. to have that bravery to do things.” He recommended the school leadership approach A recent tour of the north-west of England showed that exemplified by: “if we see you doing something wrong “every school has huge potential.” And many of them once, we will support you and encourage you.” Of are showing it by example, without even mentioning course, the response would be different “if you do it their academic results. He showed how a focus on 20 times.” He deplored the tendency among many pupils and on ensuring that school leadership is teachers and school leaders to be focused on “not ‘values-driven’ is bringing about transformation, citing: making mistakes and not letting the kids make mistakes.” Ysgol Bryh Hedyd, Beach School, Rhyl: true to its name, it holds many lessons on the beach, when Relating to colleagues weather allows, uses the materials to be found there Another strand of Independent Thinking’s work – for example, pupils write their feelings about what involves looking at school leaders’ roles and views of

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What if? • … there were no year groups? • … there were no holidays? • … you had classes of 50? • … you had no school leaders?

Opposite thinking • Think of the worst possible first five minutes in school for a kid (suggestions from the audience: being beaten up, chained up… the one that received most agreement was diarrhoea). their key functions and activities. Experience of having • Then he asked the group to flip their answers to this formed a 3-18 school made Dave Harris realise “how question – changing the ‘presets’ they have about ineffectual I am as an individual, how strong we are as schooling a team.” In his early days as a head he had thought that he Such exercises, he said, “open up creativity of should be getting on with ‘important’ issues all the thinking. Have fun with it. You need to be creative – time: “I felt guilty walking the corridors or sitting in the you need to enjoy your job. I never cease to be amazed back of a lesson. But then I realised that, actually, that at the ingenuity of people in schools when they are was when I was most effective.” Now he advises other free.” heads: “When you come into school early, chat to the caretaker or other members of staff you encounter; don’t rush into your office to catch up with paperwork.”

Walking the corridors or sitting FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: ASK THE in the back of a lesson… that, RIGHT QUESTIONS actually, that was when I was most effective “I don’t like to argue with Sir Alex Ferguson,” said Greg Gilbey of Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School He showed delegates a graphic listing the in introducing this workshop, “but you can’t characteristic activities and functions of management make the impossible possible. In reality it’s about and leadership: defining your terms.” This means that very often a challenge that is thought impossible is not so, if Management Leadership the right talents, approach and energy are applied. Improvement Transfer The experience that confirmed this approach to Control Trust him was becoming director of learning under new Tight Love/caring headteacher Martin Mckeown. This meant “putting Conformity Creative heart and soul into formative assessment, in a Systems Relationships programme that has been building strength over the Standards Values last 18 months. Instructions Coach Rules Empower “You can’t make the impossible possible” – but very often a Another way of looking at it is: “management is mostly an independent activity, best done before or challenge that is thought after the meeting. Leadership is mostly a collective impossible is not so, if the activity, which should be the focus of the meeting.” right talents, approach and He ended with some ideas for stimulating creative energy are applied thinking in a group, which works with teachers as well as students (to be done in the first five minutes of a “Very often in schools we create walls which we meeting, without preamble): think we can’t break through. But if we overcome our

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negative views, we can.” He maintains that a useful approach when presented with such a challenge is to start by asking, “what can you do? What can’t you do?” For Gilbey as an aspiring senior teacher in the school, this became, “can I lead a school project? Can I inspire staff? Can I manage and drive an initiative forward? And, can I still have a home/work balance (eventually!)” In each case, the answer, he has found, was yes. “If you have faith in what you’re doing, and a moral compass based on giving students the best teaching possible, you become a more resilient individual. You can cope with much more. It’s our responsibility as leaders to show that it is possible.” In this case, that has included twilight lessons, regular training sessions for all key staff, and teams of colleagues “doing something completely different from what they have done before.” information, experiences, and advice. These included a blog, a regular newsletter, reviews, assemblies, and Getting around the chimp swapping group leaders where necessary for the He has found Steve Peters’ notion of the ‘chimp monthly meetings. He was pleased to find that the paradox’ very helpful. Each person’s ‘chimp’ is the formative assessment language began to permeate immediate, emotional response to a challenge, many discussions, with colleagues overcoming which tends to dominate one’s immediate reactions irrational concerns about the programme. and is often negative or unhelpful. Both in himself and with colleagues, he has found it useful to apply Students’ responses to assessment for learning Peters’ solutions, including “don’t meet the chimp The assemblies were powerful, as informing students head on; show him where the bananas are. Set of their teachers’ efforts to provide assessment for parameters to create wiggle room.” In other words, learning increased their motivation. When seeing give people reasons why they should comply with new how teachers were adapting their lessons on the basis requirements rather than confront or avoid them. of ‘real time’ evidence of the students’ learning, they Colleagues needed to be persuaded to commit responded by working in a more focused way, and to training and development that would potentially became more aware of their own learning processes. change long-held approaches to teaching in order to focus on formative assessment. The programme Students responded by included nine meetings of all staff a year, in groups working in a more focused way, of 10, undertaking confidential discussions; and a commitment to reflection between meetings on the and became more aware of issues being considered. their own learning processes The ‘wiggle room’ Greg Gilbey offered included: a day’s training to prepare them for the project; meeting The students went on to apply this approach him instead of taking part in group discussions, during themselves, as sixth formers helped year 11 students or after the school day; meeting any day of the week; through difficulties in their work. At the end of last meeting him at the weekend or during the holidays to year, the students who had been involved in this fulfil their remit within the project. In fact, he said, “I collectively achieved a level 0.4 above that of their only had to do that once” but that he was prepared to cohort. do it persuaded colleagues he was serious, and it was Greg Gilbey is also now introducing the coaching worth doing. Of 150 colleagues, in the end only two programme in four other schools. were reluctant to take part. He ended his presentation by recalling his chimp He said he also bribed participants with chocolate reaction when asked to take on this role by the during meetings (“until I ran out of money”), and “an headteacher. “My instant thought was, ‘why me?’” extra day’s Inset per term”. But after reflection, he decided: “why not me?’” Turning the focus to the logical part of the brain, he provided many avenues for accessing and discussing

58 WORKSHOP REPORTS Registered office: 5thFloor, Central House, 142Central Street, London,EC1V 8AR. Registered inEnglandandWales. Company number: 08073410.VAT number: GB 135 221 255. SSAT (The Schools Network) Ltd, aprivate company limited by shares. Central House, 142Central Street, London,EC1V8ARTel: 02078022300 Email: [email protected] ssatuk.co.uk

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