Leaders book

OCTOBER 2023

WORKBOOK 01

LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

Programme Introduction

Forward

A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE

Subject Leadership is one of those things that schools can get “really right” or “really wrong”. There is little doubt that the performance of pupils can only really ever be as good as the imagination, effectiveness and passion of a subject leader.

According to John. C. Maxwell ‘A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.’

As subject leaders envision and bring to life the curriculum they wish their pupils to encounter, so the teachers and children are able to follow and proceed with an ease and confidence that they are heading in the right direction and learning all that they need to know.

Subject leaders may also be known as co-ordinators, curriculum leaders or managers. In recent years the DfE use the term ‘subject leaders’ as the preferred generic term which captures the essential leadership aspect of the work of a subject leader and acknowledges their importance in securing high standards of achievement.

DfE Definition ‘Subject leaders provide professional leadership and management for a subject to secure high quality teaching, effective use of resources and improved standard of learning and achievement for all pupils’.

It is clear from this definition that the role of subject leader is multifaceted and one which takes the majority of responsibility for pupil performance and outcomes in a specific area of the curriculum. But what of other school leaders and their responsibility in ensuring high quality education and provision for all?

According to Mary Myatt and her blog on Leadership and the curriculum ‘There are a number of things which leaders need to take account of when thinking about the curriculum. The first is that the curriculum is more than subjects on a timetable; the second is that the national curriculum is not a scheme of work and the third is that colleagues need time to plan, to collaborate and to reflect. The role of leaders is to know what the curriculum is for, how it is constructed and what content is covered. The work of Christine Counsell in unpacking the key questions to be asked is fundamental to supporting leadership of the curriculum. Her blog posts are essential reading for all leaders as they consider the quality and purpose of the curriculum in their settings’ So as we look to our own settings and organisations, we must take a moment to reflect and consider the type of support and preparation subject leaders have for the job... I suspect we could put our answers on a postcard...

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LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

Top Sources of Info

Where should leaders go to keep up-to-date with information relating to their subject?

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DfE

The Department for Education is on most leaders Google search “speed dial” and rightly so. With documents, papers, reviews and reports being regularly published - it’s always good to follow the work produced by the DfE for compliance purposes as well as helpful information.

Subject leaders may find the Curriculum Reviews and subject reports a great source of information. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/curri culum-research-reviews]

2 Examboards Examination boards are a secondary school teacher’s best friend and should be relied upon as an excellent source of both information and support. Leaders who don;t regularly engage with examination bodies do so often at the peril. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdo m_Awarding_Bodies

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The Chartered College and SSAT are also great sources of guidance and information for leaders at all levels and pose some interesting findings, articles and position papers on what best might look like in different areas of school life and the curriculum.

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4 Ofsted Youtube Not the thing most of us will be watching on Youtube, but actually - there is some brilliant stuff on the Ofsted Youtube channel that can provide guidance, insights and some really considered information about subject or curriculum leaders.

The team delivering the series are credible educationalist who talk a surprising lot of sense. Give it a go https://www.youtube.com/user/ofstedne ws

5 Standards and Testing Agency

If the subject that you lead is formally tested then keeping up-todate with any changes found on the standards and testing agency website can be really helpful. https://www.gov.uk/government/or ganisations/standards-and-testingagency

LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME SESSION OVERVIEWS

Update: Session 1 will nowtake place in October*

LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME