Leadership Focus (issue 90 / July 2021)

Issue 90 / July 2021 / £5

THE MAGAZINE FOR NAHT AND NAHT EDGE MEMBERS

FOCUS

The path to

recovery

Tim Bowen NAHT’s new president sets out his priorities.

‘You Are Not Alone’ The new book highlighting racial inequality in school leadership.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

OPINION

PAUL WHITEMAN: NAHT general secretary

Despite the many challenges ahead, we must look forward with optimism ’m writing this as three major NAHT events come to a close.

Along with 400 or so school leaders, I was in Birmingham at the end of June for NAHT’s Inspiring Leadership conference. Face-toface events have taken a hit this past year, but we were able to pull this one off in a covid-19-secure way, and so I must pay tribute to all the staff who made it happen.

Bringing people together again to talk about leadership felt like a long-overdue moment.

The spirit of optimism and ambition that seems to be in the DNA of every school leader was much in evidence. As well as being inspired by the people I met there, I came away with an amazing feeling of reassurance. School leaders and their teams will play a leading role in the ‘recovery’ from covid-19. I can’t think of a better group of people to entrust with this mission.

At the same time, our national executive committee met for the final session of this academic year. This was the first exec to be chaired by our new president, Tim Bowen. Many of you will have heard him speak powerfully about his vision for education at our annual general meeting (AGM) in April. To learn more about Tim, you’ll find a great profile of him in this magazine (see page 7).

I’d like to pay tribute to Tim and his fellow exec members for the ongoing contribution they

I

make to the association’s work on behalf of every NAHT member.

Their discussions and decisions shape NAHT’s policy work. Exec meetings always provide my team and me with a rejuvenated sense of purpose. I was going to say ‘a shot in the arm’, but of course, these days, that’s a totally different order of business.

In between national executive and Inspiring Leadership, we also launched You Are Not Alone, a book of tales from the perspective of 14 NAHT members from Asian, African, Caribbean and multiple backgrounds. The book was born from the meetings of the Leaders for Race Equality group.

Above: Paul Whiteman

The power of collectivism, mutual support and allyship that have been the hallmarks of the trade union movement for so long have steered us through the pandemic and will chart a path beyond it.

I’m hugely grateful to all the book’s contributors for their generosity and bravery. You can read extracts from the book and learn more about it in another feature in this magazine (see page 14).

I hope the book is seen as a genuine contribution to NAHT’s commitment to achieving equality in education. It is a small step forward, to be sure, but it is definitely not just a tick in the box.

I’m acutely aware that our efforts must also cross the boundaries of all equality challenges. Race is just one of the issues to address.

In education, there is always more to do. Not because the system is broken, but because it is unfinished. I borrow these words knowingly from Amanda Gorman, who graced the podium at Joe Biden’s inauguration. On that day, even though the scale of the task ahead seemed mountainous, there was a sense of optimism.

In the same way, leaving Birmingham this week, even though we have a long way to go, I’m hopeful. The power of collectivism, mutual support and allyship that have been the hallmarks of the trade union movement for so long have steered us through the pandemic and will chart a path beyond it.

3

CONTENTS

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ASSOCIATION AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES NAHT and NAHT Edge 1 Heath Square, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1BL www.naht.org.uk www.nahtedge.org.uk Tel: 0300 30 30 333 Editorial strategy board: Stuart Beck, James Bowen, Tim Bowen, Nick Brook, Mark Cornell, Iman Cornwall, Ruth Davies, Laura Doel, Guy Dudley, Steven George, David Gilmore (chair), Magnus Gorham, Steve Iredale, Helena Macormac, Judy Shaw and Paul Whiteman. @nahtnews @nahtedge

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor: Nic Paton.

Publisher: David Gale.

4

You Are Not Alone.

See p14

SALES DIRECTOR Ian Carter.

Tel: 0207 183 1815 Leadership Focus is published on behalf of NAHT by Headlines Partnership Publishing, 51/52 Triangle Building, Wolverton Park Road, Milton Keynes, MK12 5FJ www.headlines.uk.com Tel: 01908 393303 Email: david.gale@headlines.uk.com

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The views herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor or NAHT.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

Contents

26 7

Tim Bowen NAHT’s new president sets out his priorities.

14 You Are Not Alone We take a look at the new book You Are Not Alone, which brings together 14 stories from members of NAHT’s Leaders for Race Equality group.

20 A time to recover Journalist Nic Paton takes a close look at the government’s covid-19 education recovery package.

26 NAHT’s annual conference A look ahead at what to expect in October.

28 Wales policy corner An update from Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru director, on our Senedd election campaign and the Wales TUC.

28

29 Northern Ireland policy corner An update from Helena Macormac, NAHT(NI) director, on the issues affecting our members in Northern Ireland.

30 Long covid and the legal implications NAHT solicitor Simon Thomas looks at how the provisions of the Burgundy Book apply to long covid.

31 Pensions Kate Atkinson, NAHT interim head of advice, looks at the government’s solution to remove age discrimination in public sector pensions and what it means for you.

34 School business leaders

34

Bethan Cullen, operations director at the Institute of School Business Leadership, shares an overview of its inaugural roundtable, held in March, on the role of school business leaders as essential members of the senior leadership team.

42 Conferences and courses Invest in your professional development this autumn.

46 The final word Journalist Susan Young takes a look at how one school is literally pedalling to success.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

Tim Bowen, NAHT president

Leadership Focus journalist Nic Paton talks to NAHT president Tim Bowen.

7 AHT has the ladies’ footwear section of Marks & Spencer’s flagship store in Liverpool to thank for its new national president.

Tim Bowen may have been a head teacher for a quarter of a century, spending the past 21 years at Maple Primary School in St Albans, Hertfordshire, but the spark that led him to education and schooling was recognising that a life surrounded by heels, flats, mules, wedges and ankle boots was not for him.

“I began life as a management trainee with Marks & Spencer (M&S),” Tim recalls to Leadership Focus. “In those days, the mid1980s, M&S was one of the top employers on the university ‘milk round’. When I got the offer, I thought I had done rather well; the salary was good, and I enjoyed the hotels I was staying in.

“My first position of responsibility was to be put in charge of the ladies’ footwear section of the store in Liverpool. I’m afraid I just couldn’t get excited about ladies’ footwear, and that, I quickly realised, was completely the wrong attitude to have for retailing.

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“I remember one afternoon I went for a walk along the Wirral coast thinking, ‘if it’s not going to be retailing, what is it going to be?’. At university, I had spent a year in the US – for that summer, as a counsellor in a boys’ camp.

It was incredibly hard work, but I loved it; this was in Texas, so you had six-year-olds on the rifle range and five-year-olds trying not to fall off their horses.

“I wondered if the nearest equivalent could be primary school teaching. So, I took a very deep breath, resigned from M&S – without even anything else to go to – and within a few days, I had got a voluntary position as

an unpaid helper at High Beeches Primary School in Harpenden.

“I spent half a term there, a week in each class, and then got a place on a PGCE course.

“Within the first week, I knew, I absolutely knew, that primary school teaching was the career for me.”

anagement m a s a e lif n a eg “I b s & Spencer trainee with Mark alls.

(M&S),” Tim rec

TIM BOWEN

Tim spent a decade as a classroom teacher before rising through the ranks to deputy head teacher and then to head teacher, first at Little Gaddesden Church of England Primary School in Hertfordshire and then Maple Primary School.

“Maple is a single-form entry school, and we have a specialist base for profoundly deaf pupils, which is quite unique and a very special feature of our school. They are taught both in the specialist base and the mainstream classes alongside their peers,” he says proudly.

NAHT has been with Tim at every stage of his headship ‘journey’. “In my first headship, I wasn’t actively involved in the union – simply because I was so busy just surviving as a school head, and I had a teaching commitment as well; NAHT was just the advice line at the end of the phone,” Tim recalls.

“But when I went to Maple, the head of a nearby village school encouraged me to go along to a Hertfordshire branch meeting. I

really enjoyed it, and at the end, branch secretary Simon Springer came up and said, ‘so are you going to come to future meetings then?’.

“I said, ‘if I do, will it be any extra work?’. He looked me in the eyes and said, ‘oh no, none whatsoever’.

He blatantly lied, but I am so glad he did! I got absolutely hooked,” Tim says.

Tim attended his first NAHT conference in York in 2003.

He initially became a branch

“I took a very deep br eath, resigned from M&S - without even an ything else to go to and within a few days , I had got a voluntar y position as an unpaid helper at High Beeches P rimary School in Ha rpenden,” says Tim.

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“Within the first week, I knew, I absolutely knew, that primary school teaching was the career for me.”

official, then a treasurer, a branch secretary and president of the Eastern region. In 2013, he became a national executive member, and he has also chaired the Member Services Committee.

“NAHT has been so useful for sorting out problems or just having someone to talk to. ‘How would you handle that?’, and ‘what on earth does this latest Department for Education initiative mean?’

– NAHT has come to my rescue numerous times,” he says.

“The local support has been invaluable, and many of the branch officials have become really good friends, so that is an important social aspect too. Every head needs their support network. In the more difficult times, NAHT has been important in helping to reduce the stress, reduce the pressure and in providing reassurance,” Tim adds.

All of which, rather neatly, brings us on to some of Tim’s priorities for his year as national president: mental health, wellbeing and resilience.

They are one reason why he has chosen Education Support as NAHT’s charity partner for the year (see page 12). Of course, his priorities reflect vital issues and concerns that have affected the whole profession during the past year-and-a-half of pandemic, public health and education crises.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

Little Ga Church ofdEdesden P rimary Snchgland ool

Maple Primary School

Mental health,wellbeing and resilience

Education Support

d Eskdale Ravenglass an m Railway ea St e ug Ga w Narro

“I have been concerned about the well-being of our members for many, many years – long before any of us had heard of covid-19. In my career, I have seen many good, experienced heads become burnt out, become jaded. Sometimes they have been on the receiving end of a poor Ofsted inspection, and no matter how many very conscientious and good years of service they have had, suddenly they are in real difficulty. I can think of a few people I have known well whose careers have not ended on a happy note,” Tim explains.

“The pressures of the job, as we all know, seem to have increased each year significantly. It is absolutely essential that school leaders develop those skills of resilience that are now required, particularly if they are looking to do their jobs well into their sixties.

“Then, of course, we have had the pandemic. It has been incredibly pressurised for all school staff, and I think the school workforce has done absolutely brilliantly, at all levels. There are no two ways about it, however; for heads, it has been immensely pressurising. For me, it has certainly been the most challenging of any of the 25 years I have had as a

head. You have had to be the rock in what has been an extremely severe storm. In my case, the support I received from my deputy head teacher Shanti Johnson in managing my school during the pandemic was invaluable.

“The toll this has taken, especially on school leaders, is huge. I think it is absolutely the right time, both as an association within NAHT and nationally, that we really speak about school leaders’ emotional well-being and good mental health; that we encourage that conversation. In the past, it was about keeping a stiff upper lip; it was seen as a ‘weakness’ to show emotion.

“Head teachers, especially, along with their leadership teams, have been through so much, and I think just to talk openly about that and look at how, if we’re in this for the long haul, we can keep effective as school leaders is important.

To further that conversation, I think, is paramount,” Tim argues.

The second strand of his presidency, he hopes, will be helping the profession – and NAHT members – take the first steps of what is likely to be the long and probably challenging road of ‘covid-19 recovery’.

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TIM BOWEN

NAHT’S WELL-BEING CAMPAIGN

To coincide with Tim’s presidency, and simply because it is needed more than ever, NAHT is launching a campaign to focus on the well-being and mental and emotional health of school leaders.

The campaign will feature continuing professional development opportunities, blogs, advice and the shared experiences of members on looking after their well-being while leading schools during these difficult times (see some examples of these below).

Tim said of the campaign: “It’s no secret that school leaders do an incredibly stressful job, and no more so than over the last 15 months, but while we often talk about these issues, we rarely focus on the things that can help.

“I want us to spend some time and effort this year sharing and promoting the courses, resources, advice and tips that can make a real difference to school leaders in their roles. We know we can’t change some of the realities of the job in front of us, but we can support each other to make it that bit easier.”

Find out more, visit www.naht.org.uk/well-being-support 10 We are looking at this issue in more detail elsewhere in this edition of Leadership Focus, but Tim is clear this will be a journey that continues well beyond his year as president. “There are no guarantees, of course, but as, hopefully, the pandemic begins to lessen, the business of recovery is, I fear, going to take a good few years,” he points out.

“Implementing the specifics of the recovery programme, giving advice to members and supporting them – those will be the challenges.”

Finally, what of the other Tim Bowen, the man outside of school? Tim is married to Julia, a part-time primary school teacher, and has two daughters, Anna, 19, and Jessica, 17. Other than family life, Tim’s passion outside of work is volunteering as a guard on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Narrow Gauge Steam Railway.

“It is a beautiful line in Cumbria, from Ravenglass just north of Barrow to Eskdale, one of the most beautiful of the Lake District valleys. Every opportunity I have, I go up there, and I do a spot of guarding,” he explains.

Yet even this, Tim is keen to emphasise, returns us to his overarching message about the importance of mental health and well-being. It is vital head teachers, especially now, find something in their lives – whatever it is or whatever works for them – to help them genuinely switch off from the high-stakes pressures of the educational coalface, something that allows them mentally to recharge and reset.

“I trained as a guard at the age of 18, after my A levels, and I’ve been going back as a volunteer ever since. In terms of my well-being and resilience, that has been my big switch off.

Going there, out in the fresh air, and being totally absorbed in something that is not work helps me to destress and unwind,” Tim explains.

SOME WAYS NAHT MEMBERS LOOK AFTER THEIR WELL-BEING NAHT carried out a snapshot survey of members during the summer term to ask them the following: is there anything you’ve done during the pandemic that has been particularly helpful for your well-being or mental health? Here is a selection of what they said.

‘GOING FOR A RUN’ “Being outdoors; going for a run. Something I will hold on to forever is being able to finish work at a decent hour and spend some time with my young children (which I never got to do before the pandemic).”

A PRIMARY SCHOOL HEAD TEACHER IN SUNDERLAND

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

‘WALKING THE DOG’ “Bought a dog! Walking the dog means that I have to get outside, and I have to do this every night ... rather than reach for the wine! “[We’ve also implemented] a renewed emphasis on staff members’ well-being, including the training of two mental health first-aiders and a well-being strategy, which extends to governor level. All policies are reviewed in the light of worklife balance and well-being, which staff say has impacted them positively.”

JULIE WRIGHT, HEAD TEACHER AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL, WIGSTON, LEICESTERSHIRE

‘WELL-BEING LUNCHES FOR STAFF’ “[We’ve put in place] counselling for pupils and counselling for staff, including ‘well-being’ special lunches for staff teams, split into each key stage.”

HARRY ANDERSON, PRINCIPAL AT MUNTHAM HOUSE SCHOOL, WEST SUSSEX

‘RUNNING, AND LISTENING TO AUDIOBOOKS’ “The most helpful thing that has happened in our area is that local secondary heads have met once a week via Zoom to exchange ideas, solutions but also, more importantly, to share stories, empathise with one another and laugh together. It has been like group therapy.

“I also have from the outset adopted a completely transparent approach with governors and the senior leadership team. Nothing is kept back, and we share responsibility for decision-making. We also said early on that we would forget the development plan and our strategic priorities and just focus on getting through the pandemic.

“We got a new school therapy dog. It’s been lots of work, but it has brought joy and fun and a welcome positive distraction for pupils and staff.”

“Finally, I knew I had to find a way to get some ‘headspace time’ that didn’t involve a glass of wine, so I took up running again and listening to audiobooks completely unrelated to work or the pandemic. Both have been extremely helpful, and as a bonus, I have lost weight!”

KATHRYN HARPER-QUINN, HEAD TEACHER AT HOUNSLOW HEATH INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

SEAN MAHER, HEAD TEACHER, RICHARD CHALLONER SCHOOL, KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES

‘OUR SCHOOL’S THERAPY DOG’

‘ENCOURAGING STAFF TO LEAVE PROMPTLY’ “One of the first things I did was to move the staffroom into the hall. It sounds like such a small thing to do, but it glued my (already strong) staff team together.

staff create additional stress for me! It’s also given me the green light to go home early and not create work (we head teachers are all prone to that!).

“They sit in there for playtimes, have lunch there, and we have our staff meetings there.

It has meant the staff have reacted well to the many changes, and they have been incredibly supportive, which has helped massively with the stress of dealing with the pandemic and has also hugely helped me.

“I have reduced paperwork enormously over the last year. And the school has run very well without it – as a school, we have really tried to use this opportunity to take stock.

Having a strong local network of heads has also helped: as the pandemic has become ‘normal’, it’s interesting to note that the frequency of emails has reduced!”

“I have also (with the staff) looked at workload again. I have actively encouraged staff to leave promptly at the end of the day and reduced workload to support this. Tired

HELEN RICHARDSON, HEAD TEACHER AT JOHN BLOW PRIMARY SCHOOL, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

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TIM BOWEN

EDUCATION SUPPORT

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In a year when the mental health and well-being of all teachers teachers, but school leaders especially, have never been more in the spotli spotlight, Tim’s choice of Education Support as the charity partne partner for his presidential year is not just highly topical. It also sends out an important message to NAHT members.

Education Support (www.educationsupport.org.uk) is the Ed only UK charity dedicated to supporting and improving the mental health and well-being of all teachers and education staff. men As Tim puts it: “It is the ethos that Education Support brings; that it recognises the stresses for everyone in education remain high, but especially for school leaders.

“As “A its chief executive Sinéad Mc Brearty has said, we need to recognise that self-care for school leaders is not self-indulgence. recogn Looking after ourselves needs to be a core part of helping us Loo to do the jobs that we do. For me, that ties in uniquely with my agenda as national president.”

The charity’s 2020 Teacher Wellbeing Index concluded more Th teache than ever are experiencing symptoms that can lead to teachers anxiet and depression. More than half (52%) said they had insomnia anxiety in the past year, and 40% were having difficulty concentrating, both of which whi are associated with poor mental health.

Las Last year, the charity provided direct support to 15,200 peo people working in education and worked with more than 1,000 schools and colleges.

As an NAHT member, you can access its dedicated, confi confidential counselling and support helpline on 0800 9174055.

Ope 24/7, Education Support’s helpline is staffed by qualified Open counsellors counse who can offer emotional and practical support.

The charity also offers an employee assistance programme that Th can provide staff with access to confidential counselling support and a financial grants service to provide short-term aid to people workin in education who are experiencing a financial crisis. risis. working

“Hopefully “Hopefully, the partners partnership we will have over p the next year, which builds on the relationship ry we have with them already, is going to be very beneficial to our members,” Tim adds.

Read and share this feature: https://features.naht.org.uk/tim_bowen/index.html

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NAHT’S BOOK

YOU ARE NOT ALONE Leadership Focus journalist Nic Paton looks at the new book You Are Not Alone, which brings together 14 stories from members of NAHT’s Leaders for Race Equality group.

his is monumental. This is historic. This is a pivotal moment in history.” So said Philonise Floyd in April in response to the conviction of US police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of his brother George Floyd in May last year.

George Floyd’s murder – harrowingly caught on camera – marked a watershed moment in US race relations, sparking a wave of protests and acting as a rocket booster to the Black Lives Matter movement, which had itself emerged in the wake of the death of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin six years previously.

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and it reflects the real fears of many in the UK, including nurses, barristers, MPs and sports personalities, who have recently experienced ‘stop and search’ and even arrest while simply going about their lives,” she tells Leadership Focus.

“It, I think, spurred lots of people into looking for ways to respond to that horror,” she adds.

As Leadership Focus reported last autumn, the energising effect of that summer saw the creation of a new member-led NAHT group, Leaders for Race Equality, which was designed to give a voice to NAHT’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic members and inform and deepen the knowledge and expertise of all members when it comes to race, diversity and inclusion.

While a relatively informal group, its meetings have already made an immediate impact, both for members of the group themselves and the wider NAHT community.

LORNA LEGG, HEAD TEACHER OF OFFWELL CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL IN HONITON, DEVON. Floyd’s death, the weeks of turmoil that followed, the ‘I can’t breathe’ slogan of Black Lives Matter and then, finally, the conviction of Chauvin; these all resonated with many people around the world, especially those from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, recalls Lorna Legg, head teacher of Offwell Church of England Primary School in Honiton, Devon.

“That was a pivotal point for lots of people from diverse backgrounds, but particularly for those with African and Caribbean backgrounds, where skin colour alone can make you a target. It was even more shocking because it was on camera,

BLACK LIVES MATTER

“The first meeting in May last year, for example, was very cathartic for those who attended,” recalls Lorna, a member of the group. “The stories people spoke about were amazing; people needed to get them out.

People’s experiences throughout their education came out; it wasn’t just us as leaders. And we felt they should be out there in the public domain.”

That impetus, in turn, led to the publication last month [June] of You Are Not Alone, a collection of personal stories and experiences from 14 members of the group, including Lorna. It has been published as a limited-edition print publication and, more widely, as an e-book for dissemination to NAHT members and schools themselves.

This is monumental.

This is historic.

This is a pivotal moment in history.

PAUL WHITEMAN, NAHT GENERAL SECRETARY As NAHT general secretary Paul Whiiteman puts it: “We have ambitious plans for this book. We’re not, of course, makin ng a profit out of this. We have a numbe er of hard copies that we’re going to distribute carefully for impact. But then we’re going to make it widely available in electronic format.

“We plan to get an electronic link to the book in every school and then build fro om there. We are also talking to the Deparrtment for Education about how to get it into teacher training colleges. We believe it is so insspiring that it has a place there in encouraging g people to move forward,” he adds.

The 14 stories (see page 16 for ex xtracts) contain very personal accounts of the casual, day-to-day racism and barriers many NAHT members have experienced in their lives, both as children in the school environment and as teachers and leaders.

It is also a clarion call to arms for the profession to get better, be better and be more inclusive and transparent around race, diversity and inclusion.

As Paul argues passionately: “At NAHT, we do have to be brave enough to look to ourselves. We are a reflection of school leadership in itself, and therefore, we need to make sure that, in everything we do that promotes the profession, we solve our own difficulties as much as everything else.

“As a well-meaning, white man – and, after all, I even happen to be called ‘Whiteman’ – I sometimes struggle to find the right words. I know my reactions to equality are the right reactions. But how do I make sure NAHT articulates the pain and frustrations of our members from the Black community? How do we do that as a union that is still broadly white in its membership?

“So, this is people telling their own stories. It is about giving voice to these stories without any trade union gloss or edit, any white liberal gloss or edit. It is their stories, and I am really proud of the collection we have put together,” Paul adds.

Further to raising awareness of the barriers and challenges, however, is the hope the book can provide positive impetus too; that it can act as an inspiration to school children from minority ethnic backgrounds as well as classroom teachers and would-be leaders.

“What hits me is just how inspiring and full of hope the stories are,” Paul emphasises. “One of my expectations

was that I would be reading examples of racism, examples of where people hadn’t been given the opportunity or the equality of outcome that we are all striving for, and it would just reinforce our knowledge of the problem.

“This book is so much more than that. The hope and the inspiration – the sense that we can get through this, and together we’re making change – really comes through in the book. I see it as a book of hope rather than just a collection of stories about how the system doesn’t work. And that makes it even more powerful for me,” says Paul.

“It is about the impact on school leaders or potential school leaders and the idea that you cannot be what you cannot see. But, alongside this, the value of role models and role modelling,” agrees Lorna. “We are all school leaders at different levels, but only a small percentage of school leaders are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.

It is important to see that there have been difficulties, there have been barriers, yet we have still got to these positions.

“The other thing is to be able to walk in somebody else’s shoes and possibly recognise, ‘oh, you know what, I think I might have done that myself without realising how that might feel’.

“We are all subject to unconscious bias; it’s how our brains work at the most basic level. It is also formed out of the narrative we have grown up with, from our history

books to some of our media. But we know people cannot be categorised into simple groups, and no person should ever be reduced to a set of assumptions based purely on their appearance.

“We need to be aware of some of the stereotypes we all hold and challenge some of our responses, realising the impact of some of those things – looks, names or comments – and how they impact on people, especially children.

Sometimes, it’s the small things, like always getting someone’s name wrong in the register, or asking ‘where are you from?’ when you were born here, that people might not have thought how alienating that might feel,” Lorna adds.

“There is a general agreement that we, as a union, have not been successful enough; we’re not moving fast enough to change things. There is an appetite among people to look at the fundamental causes that sit behind this and change those too,” argues Paul in conclusion.

“So, I think our job is to grab those moments in history, such as the tragic murder of George Floyd, and make as much progress as we possibly can.

Hopefully, You Are Not Alone can be one small part within that,” he adds.

You Are Not Alone brings together 14 stories from members of NAHT’s Leaders for Race Equality group. Here are extracts from five of them.

FIND OUT MORE… Download You Are Not Alone by going to

https://issuu.com/nahtcommunications/docs/you_are_not_alone

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NAHT’S BOOK

AMA OSAPANIN, ASSISTANT HEAD TEACHER, CENTRAL LONDON I remember, at school, writing a recount for a piece of literacy homework. It was a simple enough task. I wrote about my weekend. A weekend that I had spent with family. I wrote about what we watched on the television, the songs that we sang at the top of our lungs as my older cousin played an accompaniment on the piano and the food that we cooked and ate.

My aunt taught me how to make handrolled noodles that weekend. We had a great time. A weekend I was happy and proud to be writing about. I was so motivated by this piece of work.

Well, until my teacher marked it and gave it back to me. The gist of the feedback was that my recount didn’t sound very realistic and that people

‘My teacher told me that “over here” people “don’t do that”.’ didn’t hand-roll noodles. What? Erm, it was a completely accurate recount – thank you very much. And yes, in the Filipino village that my mother and aunt grew up in, people, sometimes, handrolled noodles. Skilfully too!

It was a tradition that I loved learning and happily wrote about! But somehow, perhaps, it was too different an experience to be valued. Or, maybe, just too flamboyant for the assumptions that teacher had of me? Who knows?

My teacher told me that “over here” people “don’t do that”. What? People don’t spend time with their families!? Of

course they do! Were my family strange for being ‘different’ in the way that they spent that time? Were our weekend activities not good enough? Why wasn’t I told that it sounded like a lovely weekend? That’s what I wanted to hear.

I really didn’t like how that felt. I was deflated. A little embarrassed too. Those questions. That doubt. It taught me to be less forthcoming about my experiences.

I was a child, so I don’t want to blame myself for not making a fuss at the time.

But goodness me, now, as an adult and a teacher, I’d hate to think that children are still exposed to such ignorance.

16

DIANA OHENE-DARKO, ASSISTANT HEAD TEACHER, HARROW While still training, I was given class responsibility, which was unheard of at the time. It felt as though my innate dynamism as a teacher and passion for education had been understood from the outset by leaders already in the field. I took great pride in setting up my classroom and organising tables, a seating plan, my desk and personal items.

Before long, I was in the swing of the weekly timetable and teaching all subjects while finishing my course. At first, the regular pop-ins/observations/in class sessions didn’t seem too untoward.

I had to have weekly observations anyway as part of the course. It wasn’t until a table was set up in an unused classroom opposite, where two teachers had ‘set up shop’ so to speak, that I began to feel very uneasy, targeted even.

They remained there for a full term, which was the duration of my course.

Neither teacher was in class; they took groups every now and then, but other than that, I’m not sure what they did

‘I want to be part of the next generation of leaders.

Leaders who have equality on the agenda. Leaders who ‘see’ everyone and are bold enough to make changes.’ other than observe my every move. I continued with a profound enthusiasm for the children I had in front of me. Nothing gave me greater pleasure than those light-bulb moments in which children ‘got it’. I even took the liberty of recreating Jane Elliott’s ‘Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes’ experiment as part of a discrimination lesson in RE. I was creative, confident and always maintained a positive outlook.

Perhaps that’s what got to them.

I passed my course with flying colours and went on to complete my newly qualified teacher year, again in year six, before completing a year in year four.

I built up my teaching experience (and courage) before moving on to my first leadership position for a curriculum area, with oversight over the whole curriculum.

I want to be part of the next generation of leaders. Leaders who have equality on the agenda. Leaders who ‘see’ everyone and are bold enough to make changes. I want to be that change. I want to make a difference. I want to leave a small part of the world better than I found it.

To those entering the profession or seeking leadership: go confidently into your future. Be bold, be brave and be you.

Who you are will make the difference.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

ELAINE WILLIAMS, HEAD TEACHER, WEST MIDLANDS I was told by white parents that I was racist. I was “all for the Black children”, and I “don’t care about the white ones”.

They said that I gave the Black children preferential treatment, and I was unfairly hard on the white children. I was accused of racism by the Black parents. They said that I “didn’t understand Black children” and that I had “sold out” because I only cared about the white children.

They said I was “too hard” on the Black children. No win. As a leader, you take each situation and manage each one within the policies and procedures you have in place. It’s never about colour, but that was a battle I just couldn’t win.

Some staff were great and really kept me going. Others, they didn’t want me there. They would do anything to see me fail and try anything to make me leave – dark days.

I can remember one member of staff contacting the police in order to tell them that I was allowing weed onto the premises.

999

‘I can remember one member of staff contacting the police in order to tell them that I was allowing weed onto the premises… obviously, there was no truth in it… I’m sure they wouldn’t have said it about a white head teacher.’

Yep, she wanted to damage my reputation and career that much. Obviously, there was no truth in it, and nothing happened as a result of this, but someone said that about me when I’m sure they wouldn’t have said it about a white head teacher.

Another member of staff, who clearly thought it was time for me to move

on, found and showed me new head teacher positions. Who does this for their head teacher? She obviously didn’t want to risk coming across me again as all the posts were international; in fact, they were in the Caribbean. I’m guessing that wouldn’t have happened to a white head teacher.

17

ROSS ASHCROFT, HEAD TEACHER, BIRMINGHAM I really noticed being treated differently in secondary school. For whatever reason, many teachers just did not have any real expectations of me succeeding in life. Granted, I wasn’t the best behaved, but I achieved well academically. I remember being sent out of the room during science for talking.

Now, most pupils protest their innocence, and this was no different, apart from the fact I was not actually talking. It was my friend in the row behind. He wanted to be sent out and even admitted aloud to the teacher that it was, in fact, him who was talking and not me. The teacher was uninterested in his confession and sent me out anyway.

When I came back in, after 30 minutes, she berated me in front of the class.

I calmly explained that it was not me talking and reminded her that the boy behind me confessed that it was him.

“One day, I’m going to be a teacher, and I will make sure no one I teach will be treated the way I’m being treated now,” I said. “You will be lucky if you even get into college, never mind become a teacher,” she replied.

That struck me like a lightning bolt.

Why would she say that? I was top set in

English, maths and science. What would stop me from becoming a teacher? As I said earlier, I don’t see myself as a victim, so that lightning bolt charged me like nothing ever had done before.

It stayed present in my mind through every challenge; it propelled me forward, determined to become a teacher.

‘“You will be lucky if you even get into college, never mind become a teacher,” she [my teacher] replied.’

NAHT’S BOOK

‘I recall one day arriving at work wearing my natural hair, and a colleague stretched out her arm and attempted to touch my hair.’

18 SYMONE CAMPBELL, SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGER, SURREY When I started in my first (noneducational) managerial position as a young, naive 21-year-old, initially, my leadership was met with resistance. I rapidly discovered that when people think of leadership, a young Black woman is not the first picture that springs to mind.

After a while, I became accustomed to the fact that I wasn’t what people expected, but I used this as fuel to motivate me, which made me more determined to progress. Although I found it difficult not to take it personally, I would remind myself of the phrase ‘positive mental attitude’, which was my manager’s favourite saying.

Although there were no people of colour who were senior managers in the whole organisation, I was fortunate enough to experience the power of mentorship from three senior managers at different stages of my career, which I found to be effective in helping me to achieve my potential at work.

Despite these positive experiences, I still had to battle with prejudices.

The typical micro-aggressions: the assumption that every Black employee has to be the junior member of stafff, that I must be less qualified despite e my credentials, questions about wo ork ethic or performance, passion being g misinterpreted as aggression and, occasionally, feeling misunderstood d.

Colleagues with whom I had established working relationships ov ver the telephone and then eventually met in person would look shocked to disco over they had been speaking to a young Black woman. On the first occasion, I was quite offended, but then I learnt to enjoy exceeding people’s expectations of me.

I recall one day arriving at work wearing my natural hair, and a colleague stretched out her arm and attempte ed to touch my hair, but I recoiled with disgust, feeling shocked and angry that an attempt was made to stroke my haiir like a pet. I thought to myself, why would you want to stroke my hair?

When I wore my hair straightened, there was never an interest to stroke it then.. In hindsight, if this incident were to happen again, I would educate my colleague on why this would be considered inappropriate.

I would experience unconscious bias, comments such as “you would like this top”, and I would question “why is that?” and my colleague responded, “because it is African.”

Although some of these examples or comments may have been unintentionally offensive, the key point

is we all have biases, and although unintentional, one should reflect on how the recipient perceives the offence. It is very similar to challenging the perception that children have of bullying. There is a stereotype of what racism is, but unfortunately, if you do not understand the different degrees or levels of racism, it may not be recognised as racism.

It is imperative to have diverse leaders and governors in school leadership, running our schools, to improve the awareness of different races, cultures, religions and economic status, ensuring they understand and can identify with the experiences of their whole school community and, more importantly, having open and honest discussions.

There is a need for more accountability, for people to be advocates for change, and to enhance and develop systems to improve the way diversity, inclusion and equality are managed, working towards eradicating systemic racism in the workplace. School improvement and strategic planning, reviewing recruitment processes – including having diverse interview panels, talent pipelines, training and ethnicity pay reporting – and other actions such as having the intention to work with a more diverse range of suppliers, all form part of the way forward.

“On the first occasion, I was quite offended, but then I learnt to enjo y exceeding people’s expect ations of me,” says Symone.

On reflection now, as a Black school business leader, my personal and professional experiences, both good and bad, have helped to increase my awareness haviours can afffect my work k off how my beh environment: leading by example, being mindful of the language I use, the tone I set with my own team and challenging inappropriate behaviour. Undoubtedly, we all have some self-reflection to undertake on things we can do better and ways we can positively contribute to change.

I am committing myself to be a part of the solution; if you have the same desire, I urge you now is the time to act.

Read and share this feature: https://features.naht.org.uk/naht_book/index.html

L E A R N I N G

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EDUCATION RECOVERY

A time to recover Leadership Focus journalist Nic Paton takes a close look at the government’s covid-19 education recovery package.

damp squib” (Paul Whiteman, NAHT). “A comprehensive failure of government” (Mary Bousted, NEU).

“Falls far short of what is needed” (Patrick Roach, NASUWT). “A hugely disappointing announcement” (Geoff Barton, ASCL).

It’s fair to say the profession’s response to the government’s covid-19 education ‘recovery’ package announced in June was unanimous in its anger and dismay at the government’s lack of ambition, money and clarity.

It wasn’t just teachers and school leaders, of course, who felt kicked in the teeth after perhaps the two most challenging and turbulent academic years many of them will have ever experienced. The government’s education recovery commissioner for England, Sir Kevan Collins, dramatically quit following the publication of the package, with some harsh words of rebuke for prime minister Boris Johnson.

In his resignation statement, Sir Kevan criticised the government’s package as falling ‘far short’ of what was needed. “It is too narrow, too small and will be delivered too slowly,” he said, adding: “A halfhearted approach risks failing hundreds of thousands of pupils. The support announced by the government so far does not come close to meeting the scale of the challenge, and it is why I have no option but to resign from my post.”

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, summed up the frustration for many within the profession as to why the government had even bothered to appoint such an influential and respected figure if only then to ignore his key recommendations.

“Sir Kevan Collins’ resignation tops off a truly awful day for the government and a deeply disappointing one for all those working in schools,” Paul said at the time.

“There is little point in appointing an internationally-respected education expert

A

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PAUL WHITEMAN, NAHT GENERAL SECRETARY

PAUL GOSLING, NAHT VICE-PRESIDENT

as ‘catch-up Tsar’ if you fail to listen to what they have to say. The Treasury has refused to respond to the education crisis in the same way as it has the economic one. It is completely understandable that Sir Kevan chose not to become a pawn in whatever game the government is playing,” he added.

Sir Kevan’s ambitious blueprint for recovery, it appears, got mashed in the cogs of the Treasury, with chancellor Rishi Sunak baulking at the £15bn cost of his plan, which had included 100 extra hours of teaching per pupil, with funding going directly to schools.

Whitehall turf wars and political spats aside, where does this now leave school leaders looking to the autumn term and (as we all hope) at the beginning of the process of picking up the pieces – academic, social and health – post-pandemic?

Financially, it is clear, this autumn’s planned three-year comprehensive spending review will become the next education-spending battleground, both inside and outside of Whitehall.

“The worry I have is that they kick educational recovery into the long grass, and with time, it becomes less of a political priority. The nature of the problem gets forgotten about,” says Paul Gosling, NAHT vice-president and head teacher at Exeter Road Primary School in Exmouth, Devon.

“Sir Kevan engaged with the profession.

He spoke with us and was quite honest and blunt about the problems and difficulties; he talked about the size of the investment needed. We are, or need to be, talking about tens of billions of pounds. At least 10 billion pounds is what we need. Anything else is just a sticking plaster,” he adds.

Yet, the financial arguments are just one part of the picture. As Paul Whiteman tells Leadership Focus, to an extent, all the current talk about and focus on ‘recovery’ is missing the point because the conversation – and vision – that is needed is much, much bigger.

“I think the language of ‘recovery’ is a mistake, to be honest. Recovery, to me, seems very short term; you recover from a shock, and then you just go back to what you had before. But we should never just go back to what we had before,” he says.

“Yes, of course, there will be a relatively short-term period where we need to do quick things for certain groups. So, for those going into the final year of their A levels or GCSEs now and taking their exams in 2022, we need to make sure we are prepared for that and do whatever we can in the background.

“But, for me, this is a moment, like in 1945, when the country looks around and says, ‘we’ve had an economic shock, we’ve had a societal shock, we’ve had a health

L LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

shock, and we’ve had an education shock’. Society and the co ountry will change as a result. How do we equip ourselves for those changes?” he adds.

Naturally, part of this ne eeds to be e about equipping the coun ntry – and our children – for the future, giving pupils the education, skillss and toolss they need to thrive in a ne ew, uncertain and fast-changing world. Crucially, however, that also means investing in the country’s future, so, if anything, the profession needs to be e pushing for a totally new financial setttlement for education, Paul contends. ettlement] “That [a new financial se is absolutely essential,” he e says, citing recent research from the Education Policy Institute, which calc culated that £13.5bn would be needed for education catch-up and recovery, so o not that far off Sir Kevan’s £15bn recommendation.

“Who is to say whether that is right or wrong, but it is a long way from the £1.7bn we have had from th he government so far. We know we are talk king about large amounts of money. My major worry is that if we fiddle at the edges, we will simply damage our recovery effort, damage the momen nt and the opportunity we now have,”” Paul adds.

This articulation of a bigger vision for education post-pandemic is something NAHT has been attempting to bring to the table in the form of a new document, Education Recovery: a blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all.

Published in May, so ahead of this summer’s ‘damp squib’, the document has aimed to set out a much broader landscape and agenda for ‘recovery’. This encompasses everything from the classroom to health and well-being (both children and the profession), technology, extracurricular activities and even challenges and priorities that need to be addressed beyond the school gate.

The document outlines 13 core principles that NAHT argues need to underpin the detail of any post-covid-19 recovery and then ‘seven pillars’ for educational recovery.

Please see pages 23, 24 and 25 for an outline of what these are.

Critically, as Paul Whiteman emphasises, the document makes clear that any recovery agenda needs to go hand in hand with addressing the pre-e existing, and all too familiar, problems of the profession’s recruitment and retention ‘leaky pipeline’, high-stakes accountability and spiralling mental health and well-being issues.

“Although this whole conversation comes out of a dramatic event,, this isn’t,, ag gain,,

abo out ‘recovery’; th his is ab bout saying, ‘h how do we set up the longer-term future of education that serves this recovery period but which also serves to keep people in the profession?’,” he tells Leadership Focus.

“For example, we’ve lived without the really poisonous aspects of the accountability system for two years, and we’ve probably delivered one of the most inspirational periods off education that we have ever see en. en.

So, that must tell us something.

“Let’s remove those corrosive ellements and replace them with something that supports a better future. Let’s stop arguing about datasets that aren’t there to serve schools or school improvement; they are really there to reassure politicians in their political ambitions.

“Again, I strongly feel this isn’t just about ‘recovery’; this is about the future and making sure that, from this shock, we can build a much better one,” Paul adds.

“I strongly feel this isn’t just about ‘recovery’; this is about the future and making sure that, from this shock, we can build a much better one,” says Paul.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN INCLUDES ES The government’s headline £1.4bn package over three years is on top of £1.7bn already announced for education recovery in the Budget back in March.

The Department for Education has confirmed that £1bn will be used to support up to six million 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged school children, as well as an expansion of the 16-to-19 tuition fund, targeting key subjects such as maths and English.

According to Schools Week, the split for this will be £579m to help schools develop ‘local tutoring provision’, using new or existing staff.

Then £218m will go into a new national tutoring programme, which Randstad and Teach First are due to provide. A total of £222m will go into extending the existing 16-to-19 tutoring programme.

A further £400m will go towards training and support for early-years practitioners and schoolteachers. This will be split £153m for professional development for early-years practitioners and £253m to expand existing teacher training and development.

Aside from actual cash commitments, the government pledged to review the length of the school day, with findings expected to be published in this autumn’s spending review.

Schools will also receive funding from the Department for Education to allow some year 13 pupils to repeat their final year, although the details on this (especially the funding for it) remain sketchy.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said of the package: “This next step in our long-term catchup plan should give parents confidence that we will do everything we can to support children who have fallen behind and that every child will have the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential.”

Education secretary Gavin Williamson added: “The package will not just go a long way to boost children’s learning in the wake of the disruption caused by the pandemic but also help bring back down the attainment gap that we’ve been working to eradicate.”

£1bn

will be used to support up to six million 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged school children, as well as an expansion of the 16-to-19 tuition fund.

£400m

will go towards training and support for early-years practitioners and schoolteachers.

21

EDUCATION RECOVERY

THE VIEW FROM WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND As in England, the main thing NAHT members in Northern Ireland are looking for as thoughts turn towards the autumn is clarity, argues Helena Macormac, NAHT(NI) director.

does not have control over that, but we think it should be stepping in a lot more on these issues.

“There is a lot, too, that needs to be addressed around mental health and well-being. The workload of members is absolutely massive, so the health and well-being of members, but, of course, pupils as well; that has got to be crucial going forward,” she adds.

HELENA MACORMAC, NAHT(NI) DIRECTOR

22

“People appreciate that nobody really knows what this autumn will look like, but there is a lot that the Department of Education NI could be doing. It could be contingency planning or scenario planning around, for example, new variants and surges. There are actions the government could be taking now, but it’s not,” she points out.

“There are a whole host of things we said to the department and the minister last year that weren’t done, and we saw the consequences of that. Exams, for example, are still a huge issue and, in Northern Ireland, so is the transfer test.

We still have a grammar-school-style system here, and the testing around that is a huge issue because private providers administer it. The government has said it

NAHT’S VISION

LAURA DOEL, NAHT CYMRU DIRECTOR In Wales, the clamour – and priority – is simply for the Welsh Government and new Welsh education minister Jeremy Miles to see sense about the impossibility of imposing a new curriculum simultaneously as managing and working to recover from a global pandemic.

“There were a whole host of things already on the table before covid-19, and now we’re trying to deal with all of those, which are still up in the air, plus covid-19 recovery,” explains Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru director.

“For us, we need two things from the Welsh Government. We need financial support for recovery because there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It will be different for every school, never mind every learner. There is a lot of work that needs to be done by schools – and schools are the best places for this to happen – to look at things across the board and, perhaps, take a bit of time to assess where pupils are, academically and in terms of well-being and health,” she says.

“Second, while we understand and welcome education reform – our members recognise more than anyone, probably, how much it is needed for schools – we’re also arguing there needs to be an element of pragmatism here.

NAHT’s report, Education Recovery: a blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all, sets out, in the words of Paul Whiteman, a vision for recovery that is ‘unapologetically ambitious’.

It also – crucially and perhaps ominously in light of what happened to Sir Kevan Collins’ recommendations – is one that, NAHT makes clear, ‘will also require significant investment’.

“The workload of members is absolutely massive, so the health and well-being of members, but, of course, pupils as well; that has got to be crucial going forward,” says Helena.

For the Welsh Government to push ahead with its reform agenda, because four years ago it set a date and we’ve got to stick to that date come hell or high water, we think is a mistake.

“We simply can’t push ahead with everything that we want to do because, actually, something has happened that has had a huge impact on schools, and they need to be able to focus on recovery.

“If you don’t get the recovery right, if you don’t have those foundations for schools in place and if you don’t make sure the children feel safe and secure – that their mental health and well-being are being looked after and also the mental health and well-being of the staff – then anything else you do is not going to be successful.

“We are currently looking at the rollout of a new curriculum that rips up the rule book. So, we’re arguing that there needs to be a serious conversation between the profession and the Welsh Government that looks at, ‘is now the time to be doing all of this when recovery is so crucial?’,” Laura adds.

Nevertheless, as Paul makes the case: “If the government genuinely wants to take this opportunity to improve the life chances of all children, now is the moment to be bold. The question that the government now needs to answer is: just how ambitious is it prepared to be?”

What follows is an abridged outline of the report’s key recommendations. To read the full report, go to www.naht.org.uk/education-recovery.

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1 The need for investment.

“Crucially, any funding must be in addition to the dedicated schools grant.

Recovery funding should not be used to mask or offset inadequacies in the funding schools currently receive.”

An evidence-based approach.

“There is a myriad of proposals that could be included, but we must focus on those most likely to have the biggest impact on pupils’ outcomes.”

Trust and empower teachers and school leaders.

“Schools and individual teachers must retain freedom and autonomy to make decisions at a school and classroom level based on their experiences and unique knowledge of the pupils they work with.”

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The need for genuine ambition.

Build on existing good practice.

“We should recognise and build on the excellent work that already takes place in schools, rather than simply imposing a myriad of new top-down strategies and initiatives.”

“We should not aim to return to where we were before the pandemic.

Returning the attainment gap to ‘pre-pandemic levels’ should not be the height of our ambitions.”

The

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“Any plan must be flexible and resilient enough to withstand further disruption to education.”

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School capacity.

“There is a finite capacity in any school. Simply piling up new initiatives and expectations is not a realistic or sustainable option.”

The importance of developing a resilient plan.

In-built longevity.

core principles that need to underpin ‘recovery’

“To achieve buy-in from the profession, there must be a longterm, sustainable commitment to any new schemes.”

Trade-offs and unintended consequences.

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Tailored support to meet children’s individual needs.

“The recovery plan should recognise that while children and young people have been affected by the pandemic, they have not all been affected in the same way, and headline figures mask a wide variety of individual experiences and circumstances.”

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12 Avoiding labels and unhelpful catastrophising.

Entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.

“Any recovery plan must not encourage a narrowing of the curriculum to focus on ‘core’ subjects alone.”

“We should be acutely aware of the language being used to describe the impact of the pandemic on children and young people. Talk of a ‘lost generation’ is deeply unhelpful and disrespectful to pupils.”

“The government must be mindful of trade-offs and unintended consequences of any idea being proposed. For example, the marginal gains that might be possible through extending the school day must be weighed against the costs of such a strategy, including the impact on pupils’ mental health, reduced family time, the wellbeing of staff and less time for extracurricular activities.”

13 An inclusive plan that works for all pupils.

“Any plan must take account of and be relevant to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.”

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EDUCATION RECOVERY

THE ‘SEVEN PILLARS’ OF EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY:

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Prioritise the early years.

Invest in the teaching profession.

The government must place investment in the early years at the heart of its educational recovery plan. One specific early years policy that should be urgently reviewed is the 30 hours’ ‘funded childcare’ for working parents.

The government must revisit the funding early years providers currently receive to deliver the 30 hours’ childcare offer, as current levels remain insufficient.

Furthermore, the government should increase the early years pupil premium to achieve parity with the primary pupil premium so that early intervention can be prioritised. NAHT agrees with calls from the Sutton Trust that funding should be provided for continuing professional development (CPD) of the early years workforce.

An overview of evidence produced by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) in 2020 suggests that highquality CPD has a greater effect on pupils’ attainment than many other school-based interventions, including performance-related pay and lengthening the school day. As such, teachers’ development should sit at the heart of an ambitious recovery plan.

Investment in the teaching profession is one way to ensure that longevity and sustainability are ‘baked-in’ to the plan.

Such investment would benefit not only this generation of children but also future generations. A key recommendation in our 2020 report, Improving Schools, was that there should be a national commitment to a minimum CPD entitlement that is properly funded. Now is the time to ensure that all teachers have access to high-quality professional development based on their individual needs.

Crucially, there must be freedom to choose the CPD that is right for individual teachers and schools.

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Improve support for mental health and well-being.

Schools already play a significant role in supporting the mental health and well-being of their pupils. Schools need to be properly funded so that they can enhance and expand their contribution to promoting good mental health and well-being among pupils of all ages, identifying any emerging mental health needs and referring those pupils to health professionals for support and treatment where appropriate.

However, we need to be very clear that the role of school staff is neither to diagnose mental health needs nor to deliver treatment or therapeutic support. The pandemic has exposed the lack of ambition in the government’s current plans to improve mental health provision for school-aged children. The government must accelerate the urgent improvements and resourcing required for mental health services throughout the country so that pupils can access specialist support as soon as they need it.

4 Provide targeted academic support for pupils who need it.

Any child who needs additional academic support following the pandemic should be able to access highquality, targeted intervention. Alongside existing tutoring programmes, schools should be funded to appoint and deploy tutors themselves, rather than rely on external providers to meet their particular needs and contexts.

5 Expand extracurricular provision and invest in extracurricular providers.

During the pandemic, children and young people have missed out on a range of formal and informal extracurricular activities. These play

a vital role in enriching children’s lives and supporting their personal development and mental well-being.

Therefore, the government should look to harness and expand the work of existing extracurricular providers, investing in community facilities and resources so that all children have access to a wide range of funded activities. There is also an opportunity to rebuild and expand youth services, many of which have disappeared in recent years. Crucially, this is not about simply adding more hours to the school day but increasing access to a wider range of extracurricular activities and opportunities, including during evenings, weekends and school holidays.

6 Invest in school technology.

The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in the use of technology to support learning in schools. There is an opportunity to build on the best aspects of the work that has taken place in the last 14 months. For example, there is an opportunity to repurpose and improve the online videos and resources created during the pandemic to support homework and home learning on an ongoing basis.

Such resources could help parents to support their children; there may be opportunities to improve alignment with in-class teaching and further improve the quality of feedback pupils receive. This could also have the added benefit of reducing teachers’ workload, linking to our second pillar.

As a bare minimum, the government must ensure that every child has access to an internet-connected device that allows them to engage with and complete work set by their school, with the necessary data allowances. Once again, there is the question of ambition here. If we are about to enter a new era in ‘edtech’ and online learning, the government must ensure that schools have the technology that’s up to the job.

Read and share this feature: https://features.naht.org.uk/education_recovery/index.html

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

7 Remove unnecessary burdens and distractions.

Most school communities have undergone an enormous shock because of the pandemic. As we move into a new school year, schools must be freed from unnecessary distractions and burdens to continue to meet the relentless challenges of the pandemic and focus on providing the vital support that pupils need.

It would be a mistake to rush to reimpose the accountability system that existed before covid-19. To do so would potentially hamper the work of schools at this crucial time and act as an unnecessary and unhelpful distraction. NAHT supports the Education Policy Institute’s (EPI’s) recent recommendation that “Ofsted should refrain from a ‘business as usual approach’ in 2021/22.”

It is our view that the education inspection framework (EIF) should remain suspended. We recognise that there might be a need for an alternative role for Ofsted during 2021/22, but this should be primarily focused on supporting schools with educational recovery and involve identifying and sharing best practice as schools recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Finally, looking beyond the school gates, we live in one of the wealthiest countries globally, yet the evidence suggests that the number of children living in poverty in the UK is due to reach five million this year. Schools do not exist in a vacuum, and school staff see firsthand the effects of child poverty daily.

Until we commit to tackling and ending child poverty in this country, schools will always be working with one hand tied behind their backs. It doesn’t matter how effective an academic intervention is if a child is too hungry or tired to concentrate.

While tackling this issue may not be within the immediate scope of the government’s educational recovery plan itself, it cannot be ignored either. If the government is truly committed to an ambitious, transformative plan that gives every child the best possible start in life, then it must look beyond the school gates and be prepared to address such fundamental and underlying issues.

The question is, as posed at the outset of this report, how ambitious are we prepared to be?

• For members in Wales, NAHT Cymru has brought out its version of this report. Visit https://www.naht.org.uk/ RD/NAHTCymru-education-recovery to read Education Recovery: a blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all in Wales

• For members in Northern Ireland, NAHT(NI) has also brought out its version of this report. Visit http://www.naht.org.uk/RD/NAHTNIeducation-recovery to read Education Recovery: a blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all in NI.

The evidence suggests that the number of children living in poverty in the UK is due to reach five million this year.

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WHAT MEMBERS WANT PRIORITISED In the wake of the government’s recovery plan debacle, NAHT over the summer carried out a snapshot poll of members to see where they felt the government should most be focusing any money for educational recovery post-pandemic.

The top three responses were as follows: • One-to-one, small group tutoring run by the schools themselves (70%)

70%

One-to-one, small group tutoring run by the schools themselves.

• Better support for pupils’ mental health and well-being (63%) • Increased pupil premium allocations (42%).

By comparison, the government’s stated priority areas got the thumbs down. Just 3% felt the national tutoring programme needed to be a priority area for extra cash, and even fewer, 2%, felt ploughing money into extending the school day for

63%

Better support for pupils’ mental health and well-being.

additional learning had any merit.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said of the findings: “These results reflect what we have been hearing from our members directly – that rather than dictating how education recovery happens, the government needs to give schools the flexible funding and resources to get on with the job in the way they know works best.”

42%

Increased pupil premium allocations.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

NAHT’s Annual Conference

A look ahead at what to expect in October.

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e are looking forward to welcoming delegates to our Annual Conference at County Hall in London the weekend of Friday 8 and Saturday 9 October.

The prestigious hall is almost opposite the Houses of Parliament and is the former residence of the old Inner London Education Authority.

It will be a fitting home for our sovereign decision-making forum for that weekend, with a lively debate on all the relevant issues by delegates representing those from all sectors and regions of our membership.

But, unlike in previous years, the event will be dedicated purely to policymaking. As Magnus Gorham, NAHT director of democracy and governance, explains, the pandemic has resulted in NAHT breaking tradition and separating the Annual General Meeting (AGM) from its Annual Conference for the first time in its 124-year history.

“The intention, following last year’s virtual conference, was very much to go back to a physical event this year, but also to include some of the learning from that experience in terms of democratic engagement.

“As a union, we have a duty to sign off our accounts and submit them to the certification officer as part of our AR21 [an

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annual return for a trade union] by the end of May each year.

“So, with the uncertainty caused by covid-19 around face-to-face events and the legal duty we have to perform as a trade union, we made a decision early in the year to hold the AGM virtually in May and move the main conference to the autumn term.

“This, we hope, will allow us to meet, reconnect and network face to face for the first time since our conference in Telford in 2019.

“These changes will also mean we have a chance to concentrate fully on the outward-facing aspect of NAHT’s business and shape policy for the coming years.”

What other changes can delegates expect?

“As a result of rule changes made at the virtual AGM in May, we have expanded the breadth of members who can attend conference as delegates too, with Associate members and NAHT Edge members now encouraged to attend,” says Magnus.

“We are also particularly encouraging the members of our new diversity networks – NAHT Leaders for Race Equality and LGBT+ network – to become

OUR WIDER SUCCESSES SINCE THE LAST CONFERENCE: • Supported members with our quick and accessible guidance in relation to covid-19 and gained answers to a wide range of members’ questions relating to the government’s covid-19 policy and associated guidance • Launched our Education Recovery: a blueprint for a stronger and fairer system report (see page 22) • Ensured the government delivered on an additional £7.1bn funding for schools by 2022 • Secured additional funding for small schools through the National Funding Formula • Launched an alternative vision for school accountability and school improvement • Created a new Leaders for Race Equality network and an LGBT+ network to support and help develop the association’s work on diversity and inclusion • Launched a judicial review to challenge Ofsted’s autumn term 2020 ‘visits’ to schools • Ensured floor and coasting standards were formally abolished • Continued to work with the Department for Education to improve the support schools receive when it comes to pupils’ mental health.

WHO’S WHO AT CONFERENCE

Thoughts on what the conference’s themes might be

• Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary • Tim Bowen, NAHT president • James Bowen, NAHT policy director • Magnus Gorham, NAHT director of democracy and governance and organiser of the event. involved and have asked members of these networks to contact their branch secretaries if they wish to attend,” he adds.

“In addition, we’re adding the Officials’ Conference to the start of Annual Conference. This will enable our professional community of officials to attend both the Thursday and Friday morning for training, briefings and networking opportunities, and then be there for the start of conference,” he concludes.

Delegates at Annual Conference will hear addresses from general secretary Paul Whiteman, national president Tim Bowen and an array of guest speakers on a wide range of educational topics.

Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to engage with our conference sponsors, network with colleagues, attend our black-tie gala dinner and participate in special union fringe events.

For those who are unable to make the event, we plan to stream the proceedings. This will give as many members as possible, who haven’t had the experience of Annual Conference before or who may be interested in getting involved in NAHT and want to see what it is all about, the chance to dip in and out.

James Bowen, NAHT policy director “I would expect there is likely to be continued focus on both assessment and accountability and what that should look like in a post-pandemic world.

“I would also expect the well-being and mental health of both pupils and school staff, including school leaders, to feature prominently.

“I do not doubt that members will also want to have their say when it comes to the government’s handling of the pandemic from a school’s perspective and its recently announced plans for ‘recovery’.”

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary “Our October conference is bound to address how we support young people’s ambitions – those so easily depicted as ‘a lost generation’ to covid-19.

“In their eyes, they are not the generation lost so freely depicted to mask political failure.

“They are generation hope. They are generation change. Our job is to help them make a better fist of it than we have done, not to try to put things back the way they were.

“This is a generation that has found its voice in the last couple of years. Young

OFFICIALS’ CONFERENCE

Rob Kelsall, NAHT national secretary

The Officials’ Conference will take place from lunchtime on 7 October to lunchtime on 8 October at County Hall in London, ahead of Annual Conference. Here, NAHT national secretary Rob Kelsall tells us about the event and how officials are the backbone of the association.

“The union’s lifeblood is the growing team of regional and local officials from across the nations and crown dependencies. This year’s Officials’ Conference is shaping up to be one of

people have found their voice on issues around general equity; they seem to have a much more progressive view about equality and society than perhaps has gone before.

“They express that through the campaigns around Black Lives Matter.

You can see them finding a voice on sexual harassment through the Everyone’s Invited website (www.everyonesinvited.uk). Young people are grabbing the moment and saying, ‘you older generations are failing us on this, so we’re going to change things’.

“You look at climate protest and the activity of young people by way of example too.

“So, I think equality will be a big issue for us at the October conference.

“I think climate change will also be a big issue, especially as it’ll be just in advance of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

“Coming out of that, the breadth of the curriculum will be important.

The amount of support that the government is prepared to give – not just to what it sees as academically important (ie English and maths) but also, actually, to everything else that shapes a young person – will be important. The importance of the arts, and the importance of sport in a wellrounded curriculum.”

the best yet, with key national speakers, training and workshops that will focus on growing the union’s membership, campaigning and organising,” says Rob. “The pandemic has shone a light on the brilliant work of our officials, who have worked tirelessly to support members in the most difficult of all circumstances. We have record numbers of serving school leaders stepping up to become active in their union as a representative, with many saying it’s some of the best continuing professional development you could ever get,” he adds.

If you want to get involved or find out more about the conference or work of local representatives, then email rob.kelsall@naht.org.uk

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POLICY CORNER

Wales

POLICY UPDATE

LAURA DOEL, NAHT Cymru director, provides an update on the work being done in Wales to protect, support and empower NAHT members.

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NAHT Cymru’s Senedd election campaign

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We launched our first Senedd election campaign in April, ahead of the elections on 6 May 2021.

The campaign saw our members from across Wales engage with prospective Senedd candidates in seven virtual hustings. During the meetings, they asked candidates a wide range of questions on the new curriculum, Estyn, funding and consortia, to name just a few topics discussed.

We also produced an election manifesto that outlined the five fundamental principles or areas that members want decisionmakers to engage with during the next Senedd term:

For candidates, we asked them to engage via social media and sign the #NAHTCymruPledge to work with the profession if elected to the Senedd.

Neath was one of the constituencies where a virtual hustings took place, which meant that our members heard from the now elected education minister Jeremy Miles MS, who we’re pleased to say has also signed NAHT Cymru’s election pledge.

All the hustings were simultaneously translated into Welsh and British sign language, demonstrating NAHT Cymru’s commitment to promoting the Welsh language and being an inclusive union.

Wales TUC

In another first for Wales, NAHT Cymru took an active role in this year’s Wales TUC conference, putting forward two conference motions for debate: Estyn – NAHT Cymru believes the current arrangements for appealing Estyn’s inspections fail to provide a fair and transparent process. Appeals go to Estyn directly, and it also polices its complaints, with the last resort being to refer a matter to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. NAHT Cymru does not believe this is a fair or appropriate mechanism and called on the Wales TUC’s general council to campaign to establish an independent inspection review panel in Wales, with every complaint against Estyn referred to that panel for consideration.

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Well-being ing nal learning needs need ds reform Additional Assessment and accountability Curriculum Funding.

Consortia – Education in Wales continues to suffer from a funding crisis. Recent reports commissioned by the Welsh

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Government highlighted inconsistencies in the funding formulae, which lead to considerable variations in the amount of money allocated to schools. Given the situation, NAHT Cymru believes that we need to look carefully at how the funds earmarked for education are spent, particularly for school improvement. NAHT Cymru called on Wales TUC’s congress to support a review of the role of the middle tier to ensure the consortia model demonstrates value for money and has a clear role and responsibility within the education system.

The Estyn motion sparked a significant debate even before congress started, with sister trade unions, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) and the FDA, trying to get the motion remitted from conference at the Wales TUC’s general council’s meeting the day before. NAHT Cymru, which holds a seat on the general council, had to make its case as to why this motion should be allowed and argue against claims by representatives from other unions that the motion was unfair to their members and that it wasn’t the correct forum for a procedural discussion on Estyn. NAHT Cymru forced the general council to vote on remitting under Wales TUC’s standing orders and won 19 votes to 10. The following day, both our motions were carried at the congress. NAHT Cymru is now working with Wales TUC on how to progress these issues with the Welsh Government.

POLICY UPDATE

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

Northern Ireland HELENA MACORMAC, NAHT (NI) director, takes a look at the issues affecting our members in Northern Ireland this summer. s the summer break approached, the ongoing impact of the pandemic still loomed large in our school communities, and it is set to continue to do so as we near the new term.

Our members’ resilience and endless creativity to rise to the unprecedented challenges of the past year can’t be overstated.

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A blueprint for education recovery

As we look to the new political leadership of the Stormont government and the Department of Education, NAHT(NI) has launched a blueprint for education recovery, which provides a clear vision for what must happen to ensure we have a stronger and fairer education system going forward (see page 25).

As part of this blueprint, we have urged the government to prioritise the need for direct investment in frontline education.

Our education system was chronically underfunded before the pandemic, and the escalating cost of the pandemic has further compounded the cumulative years of underinvestment.

The additional £51m proposed by the minister for the coming academic years falls significantly short of the required £116m-£166m estimated by the Education and Policy Institute.

The minister’s ‘Engage 2’ programme does not provide schools with the autonomy to apply their professional expertise in meeting individual pupils’ needs.

It is essential that the government trusts and empowers teachers and school leaders and gives them the autonomy and financial freedom to put in place what their schools require to meet the individual needs of all children as we look to recovery from the pandemic.

Summer holidays

Given the huge impact of the past year on our members’ health and well-being, as we enter the summer period, not only teachers’ but also school leaders’ holidays must be ring-fenced and respected.

We have urged the department to issue a statement thanking the school leader profession for their monumental contribution to the pandemic and encouraging them to maximise the opportunity for respite over the summer.

While we appreciate that the pandemic is unpredictable and guidance may change over the summer, members must not be expected to wait by their computers with bated breath for the next departmental communication.

Unfortunately, the Jordanstown agreement provides little protection for school leaders regarding the right to a protected holiday break period.

As part of the ongoing review into school leaders’ workload that NAHT negotiated as a key part of the 2020 pay and workload settlement, we are fighting to get this changed.

School leaders’ workload

NAHT is currently chairing the joint employer/union school leaders’ workload review group; NAHT contends it is vital that this work leads to a significant change to the current unsustainable level of workload that school leaders have to shoulder.

We are working to push for change to protect leadership and management time, ensure all principals and viceprincipals are remunerated fairly, and ensure that professional development opportunities are fully funded and fit for purpose.

We are pushing for a full review of the current contractual arrangements for school leaders; job specifications and duties must be manageable, and there should be a cap on the hours worked.

We will update members on our extensive work in this area at our policy conference, scheduled for the autumn term.

The next academic year As we look ahead to the next Assembly election, we may well be in for a further change in respect of the education ministry, with the current political uncertainty providing opportunities and challenges.

The pandemic has acutely exposed many of the chronic dysfunctions of our education system.

But, as ever, NAHT will be doing all it can to push for change for members and the children and young people in their care.

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A LEGAL VIEW

Long covid and the legal implications NAHT solicitor SIMON THOMAS looks at how the provisions of the Burgundy Book apply to long covid. he Office for National Statistics recently estimated that 114,000 people working in teaching and education have reported experiencing long covid symptoms.

As with other illnesses, long covid may result in school leaders managing staff members’ long-term absences or suffering long-term absences and capability procedures themselves.

Teachers in the maintained sector in England and Wales are employed under the Conditions of Service for School Teachers England and Wales (the Burgundy Book). Some academies incorporate the Burgundy Book into teachers’ contracts, but others do not include its enhanced entitlement to sick pay (described below).

The sick pay provisions of the Burgundy Book provide for enhanced entitlement to sick pay where the cause of the absence is work-related.

If the absence is because of an accident, injury or assault at work, then the teacher is entitled to an

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additional six months’ full pay. If the absence is because of a contagious illness contracted at work, then the Burgundy Book provides for indefinite entitlement to full pay.

These provisions do not prevent the employer from starting capability (ill-health procedures).

How might these provisions apply in the case of long covid?

Firstly, is long covid within the definition of ‘accident, injury or assault’? ‘Injury’ has been broadly interpreted as including, for example, psychiatric illness, so there is no reason why it could not include long covid.

Long covid is not, however, an ‘infectious or contagious illness’.

The argument is that long covid arises from covid-19, so there is an unbroken chain of causation from the contagious illness to the absence.

We have no decided cases on these issues yet.

It will seldom, if ever, be possible to say with certainty that the employee contracted covid-19 at

work, but the standard of proof would be whether they probably contracted it at work.

A second issue is whether long covid could amount to a disability under the Equality Act 2010 or Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Northern Ireland). The definition is broadly the same in both jurisdictions.

A person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment with a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.

‘Substantial’ is more than minor or trivial.

‘Long-term’ means having lasted 12 months, likely to last 12 months or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person affected.

Symptoms associated with long covid (including fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, insomnia, depression/ anxiety, tinnitus and others) could, either alone or coupled with other lesser side effects, certainly have the required substantial adverse effect on normal activity.

What is less certain currently is whether it would be likely to last 12 months. Right now, there may not be enough information to say that a case of long covid that has already lasted three months is likely to last for 12. The likelihood must be judged at the time of the alleged act of discrimination and not with the benefit of hindsight.

Workers with disabilities have the right not to suffer discrimination because of their disability or something arising from their disability (eg absence from work). Employers must consider reasonable adjustments for them, which could include a phased return to work or adjustments in duties or hours. Unlike the right to bring a claim for unfair dismissal, for which two years’ continuous employment is required, the right not to suffer discrimination applies from the start of employment.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

PENSIONS: what the remedy for age discrimination means for you KATE ATKINSON, NAHT interim head of advice, looks at the government’s solution to remove age discrimination in public sector pensions and what it means for you.

Background

The government has been grappling with a multibillion-pound pensions issue for some time: how to fix the problem created when the Court of Appeal ruled (in the McCloud case) that the changes made to public service pensions in 2014/15 – where younger members were moved to career average arrangements while older members were allowed to stay in final salary arrangements – were age discriminatory.

It has now set out how this discrimination will be ‘remedied’, and here I will examine what this means for affected members in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (England and Wales) and the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme (together, the TPS) and also the Local Government Pension Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (together, the LGPS). This is not relevant to members in the Isle of Man or the crown protectorates because those pension schemes did not change in the same way.

How will the discrimination be ‘remedied’ in the TPS?

The remedy period (ie the period that needs to be corrected) is 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022 for eligible members.

The changes will apply to all who were in pensionable service on 31 March 2012 and still in service on 1 April 2015, whether they are currently still in the scheme or not, or indeed have retired.

Eligible members will receive a choice at retirement on whether to take the legacy scheme (final salary) or reform scheme (career average scheme benefits) for the service they

have accrued between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022.

If you are retiring imminently and so are unlikely to be asked to make a choice at retirement while the TPS begins to roll this out, or you have already retired, please don’t worry. The TPS will need to revisit any pensions paid where affected members did not make a choice.

So, you will be contacted about this in due course, and any arrears of pension due will be paid to you. This is a massive administration exercise, so the TPS will contact members when it is able to do so – you do not need to take any action.

The legacy scheme will close to future accrual on 31 March 2022. From 1 April 2022, all those who continue in pensionable service will do so as members of the career average schemes, regardless of age. This means that members who believed they could remain in the final salary section of the scheme will, for future service only, move to the reform scheme from this date. Benefits built up in the legacy schemes will be protected.

How will the discrimination be ‘remedied’ in the LGPS? The remedy will only apply to benefits earned after April 2014 for England and Wales and April 2015 for Northern Ireland.

The remedy extends the underpin that is currently in place to all members for the period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2022, regardless of age. This underpin is designed to guarantee that members either retiring or reaching pension age

would receive the better of the benefits under either the legacy or reformed local government scheme.

All transitional protection will end from April 2022. There is no need for concern regarding the end of transitional protection in the LGPS because all service built up before that will be protected by the extended underpin, and it will not be amended or reduced in any way.

You do not need to take any action if you are an LGPS member; the extension of the underpin will happen automatically, and unlike the TPS, you do not need to make a choice at retirement.

What can you do?

There is nothing for you to do.

TPS members will be contacted if they are affected by this, including members who have already retired. It will take some time for the TPS to get in touch with members, and you may not be contacted until 2022 at the earliest.

LGPS members don’t have to do anything because they have no choice to make.

Our advice line (call 0300 30 30 333) is open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

31

SCHOOL BUSINESS LEADERS

The critical role of school business leaders BETHAN CULLEN, operations director at the Institute of School Business Leadership, shares an overview of its inaugural roundtable, held in March, on the role of school business leaders as essential members of the senior leadership team.

Background

34

A changing landscape in education and growing pressure on schools for continual improvement while simultaneously ensuring the effective use of resources have had a significant impact on the need for schools and trusts to manage business issues more effectively.

As a result, the school business sector has experienced a rapid evolution – adapting, altering and responding to the changes.

Despite the school business leader (SBL) sector now being nces, well established, in some instan there can still be a lack of understanding as to the nature of the SBL role and how schools can benefit from its presence and in nput.

The Institute of School Business Leadership’s (ISBL’s)) workforce survey in 2020, the e largest survey of SBLs to date e, found that participation at a strategic level is mixed.

Although the majority reporrted attending all senior leadership p team meetings, a sizeable proportion indicated occasionally participating ‘when deemed relevant’ (29%), and a further 10% of SBLs are not participating at all.

The roundtable

The session, held in partnership with NAHT and the National Governance Association (NGA A),

invited colleagues from across the leadership pillars of pedagogy, governance and school business to engage in a practical discussion about the critical role that SBLs play as part of the senior leadership team and any possible barriers to their involvement.

The panel also considered the impact of the pandemic and whether it had shone a spotlight on SBLs or simply reinforced and emphasised the growing contribution made by them over the last two decades.

The discussion centred on how SBLs can help influence the future shape of our education system and how, rather than limit activity to compliance, they should also see themselves as architects of solutions.

These solutions would help improvements both in their local settings and more broadly across the sector at large.

What does effective school leadership and governance look like?

And who needs to be involved?

The consensus from the roundtable attendees was the need for a more robust evidence base to support a more joined-up approach to leadership.

Roundtable attendees were unanimous in their desire to work together to ensure all schools and trusts have access to an SBL with the unique skills and knowledge afforded to them through appropriate continuing professional development and qualifications.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2021

Attendees at the roundtable expressed a keenness to ensure the profile of the SBL does not fade into the background once the pandemic subsides.

They must, stressed the roundtable, remain part of strategic-level conversations.

So, what next?

Roundtable attendees agreed that through collaboration with key stakeholders, there is an opportunity to increase the education sector’s understanding of the critical nature of the SBL role.

The next step will be to publish a thought-leadership paper that draws together the roundtable discussions, allowing school leaders to review these within their setting and share them with leadership team colleagues.

In the meantime, you can access the full recording (visit: www.naht.org.uk/RD/SBLroundtable) of the roundtable and share it with colleagues within your networks and settings.

If we are to bring about change and further improve the status and recognition of SBLs, then we must continue to work together to champion the role within our education system by providing further evidence of its positive impact.

ISBL, NAHT and the NGA would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to the thought-provoking discussions.

SBL

– A CORE PIECE OF THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Furthermore, they agreed that having the right people at the table and involved in strategic conversations, including SBLs, was essential. This is, said the roundtable attendees, because SBLs bring a unique perspective to leadership discussions, ensure optimal resource deployment and guarantee that the school adheres to compliance requirements.

How has the pandemic put SBLs in the spotlight?

School leaders looked quickly in the direction of SBLs when considering how they might

reconfigure and ensure a safe environment for pupils and staff.

These considerations included the following: • Rigorous risk assessments • Infrastructure and premises • Procurement • Health and safety • Business continuity.

These items form part of most SBLs’ everyday business activities, so it is perhaps unsurprising that school leadership teams turned to them for the solutions.

The unique skills and knowledge that most of them possess have been central in ensuring operational continuity in schools and trusts.

35

Roundtable attendees

• Jean Boyle, partner at Stone King LLP

• Lesley Burton, school business leader, St John’s CE Primary School • Andrew Knight, head teacher, St John’s CE Primary School • Stephen Morales, chief executive officer, ISBL • Steve Edmonds, director of advice and guidance, NGA • Alistair Cowen, trustee, James Brindley Academy • Lynn Howard, chair of governors, Lyng Primary School & Hamstead Junior School • Natalie Arnett, policy officer, NAHT • Andy Mellor, national executive member, NAHT • Samantha John, operations manager for a multiacademy trust and a member of NAHT’s school business leaders’ sector council.

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THE FINAL WORD

SUSAN YOUNG: education columnist

Pedalling to success uzanne Romney’s prized collection of photos and certificates chronicling the cycling triumphs at Peter Gladwin Primary School have filled one wall and crept onto another, and the firsts keep coming.

There are awards for the proportion of staff and children cycling to school, signed photographs of Olympic cyclists and BMX stars, and Sir Bradley Wiggins’ helmet, the star of one school assembly. There are pictures of children fixing bikes, riding bikes, wobbling on balance bikes and looking triumphant at the top of the nearby South Downs. Every photo is full of beaming smiles and a sense of achievement.

Outside, the second-hand bike shed is crammed with bikes and scooters, which many of the children arrived on this morning – this year, the school again came top in The Big Pedal fortnight in Brighton and Hove and ninth in the south-east.

Driving it all is Suzanne Romney, deputy head of the one-form entry primary in the suburb of Portslade, where the mixed demographic includes families with generations of disadvantage. “I’ve always been a keen cyclist, but this was the first teaching job where I could come on my bike rather than drive,” she says. Noticing her enthusiasm, Karen Harrison, Peter Gladwin’s head, asked why she didn’t “get Bike-It Ben in”.

“I’d never taught in the city, so I didn’t know what she meant, but it turned out Bike-It Ben works for Sustrans, the cycling charity, in schools with more disadvantaged children,” says Suzanne. She followed the suggestion and has never looked back.

S

46

Now, there’s a weekly bike club that teaches pupils to ride and improve their skills, a half-termly Bike Crew session where Bike-It Lucy works with children on projects (eg organising parades) and Bike-It Ben Fix-It days where children learn maintenance skills.

There are balance bikes for reception and year one and spare bikes for children without one. The club prioritises children with special needs or from more disadvantaged backgrounds. And there is a small but steady stream of bikes being sourced from Sustrans for children without their own – and, occasionally, for their parents. Winning prizes and awards for school sport and outdoor learning is now a regular event rather than a rarity.

Karen says the cycling project has taken the school’s vision forward and transformed it. “It encompasses everything we believe – it’s helping the children be active, determined, resilient and to get outside. We want

Above: Susan Young.

When we take the children out, it’s an absolute delight. It’s opening it up for them, and they are sharing it with their families – I’ve met families on the Downs who wouldn’t have been there before.

our children to understand the world they live in and the local environment – some of them don’t go to the beach or the Downs, yet they live so close that you can see the sea from our field.

It’s about health, environment, outdoor learning and discovery – opening those doors has helped encompass our ethos.”

For Suzanne, it’s been a delight to lead and transform through her lifelong passion. “I took this and ran with it. I am a cyclist, and that’s what I do at the weekend. Introducing that to a whole new generation has been great, and the staff members’ bike shed is also full.”

But it’s the effect on the community and the next generation that makes her proudest. “When we take the children out, it’s an absolute delight. It’s opening it up for them, and they are sharing it with their families – I’ve met families on the Downs who wouldn’t have been there before.

“In April, we took year five on their bikes to the Downs and offroad to a dew pond where they took part in habitat investigations.

A couple had only learnt to ride two weeks before. One boy said to me: ‘I didn’t know all this was here! This is the best day ever!’ He could see everything from the top of the hill. I just filled up. That was a great day.”

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