7 minute read
2020 Headteachers
by nasenCONNECT
M A L C O L M T R O B E C B E ,
C H A I R O F T H E H E A D T E A C H E R S TA N D A R D S R E V I E W G R O U P :
The review group was determined to develop standards that were clear, fit for purpose and of real practical use to heads, employers and those engaged in leadership training and development. The group gathered evidence, examining what leadership standards were used in other jurisdictions and professions, and curating research about what makes for successful leadership in schools. We were keen to support coherence, consistency, and progression through a person’s career as they moved into various leadership positions; building from the Teachers ’ Standards and the Early Career Framework was important.
Whilst acknowledging there were things to be learnt from outside the sphere of education, we were aware of the specificities in the complex activities of leading a school. There is a great deal of expert knowledge and experience that is a critical and necessary requirement of being an effective school leader.
We spent a significant amount of time considering how inclusion and SEND should be represented in the standards; we viewed them as strands running through all the standards, but they were given particular prominence in Standard 5.
In the consultation phase, we received overwhelming support for including a leadership dimension on ethics and professional conduct. In this section, we sought to express how headteachers engender public trust in school leadership, and how they maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour.
Standards are a key component of appraisal and, although our brief was to develop standards for those leading a single school, we wanted them to be used across a wide range of school leadership roles. As Angela demonstrates in her section below, we could see how it would be wholly appropriate to expect leaders to meet those standards relevant to their roles. In this way, I believe the 2020 standards should be of great practical use across a range of leadership roles.
E R I C A W O L S T E N H O L M E ,
S O U T H W E S T R E G I O N A L L E A D F O R W H O L E S C H O O L S E N D :
As the educations system is everevolving, the review group felt it important to consider how the standards could be used across the developing range of leadership roles in schools. This speaks to the national agenda of expert leadership, and the practical purpose of the standards is to provide a framework for training middle and senior leaders aspiring to headship. The position of SENCO is one such leadership role.
At the core of the new Headteacher Standards is the section on ethics and professional conduct, which consists of statements that define the behaviour and attitudes expected of headteachers. One example is that they ‘serve in the best interests of the school’s pupils’.
The role of the SENCO is to manage inclusion across the school, leading the school community to adopt inclusive values and practices. Therefore, as the National College stated in 2010, it is important to consider that “the effective school leader is motivated by a fundamental moral purpose towards inclusion as a core value, and with this a non-negotiable commitment to enabling achievement for all children within school, believing that all children have a right to achieve their potential, while also understanding that achievement is far wider than simply a numerical level”.
The second section sets out the 10 Headteacher Standards; references to inclusion are evident in every section. Section 5 explicitly references children and young people with special educational needs, stating that headteachers must:
Ensure the school holds ambitious expectations for all pupils with additional and special educational needs and disabilities
BIO
M A L C O L M T R O B E C B E
Malcolm chaired the DfE Headteachers’ Standards Review Group. He is currently an independent educational consultant specialising in leadership and governance. He was previously Headteacher of Malmesbury School in Wiltshire and then Deputy General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
Establish and sustain culture and practices that enable pupils to access the curriculum and learn effectively Ensure the school works effectively in partnership with parents, carers, and professionals, to identify the additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities of pupils, providing support and adaptation where appropriate Ensure the school fulfils its statutory duties with regard to the SEND code of practice.
With every leader being a leader of SEND and every teacher being a teacher of SEND, good provision is a collective responsibility, but it is the SENCO who provides the expert leadership. However, it must be acknowledged that leaders do not lead within a vacuum where everything is equal, but instead according to their circumstances. Therefore, whilst the standards provide a framework that everyone should be making an open and honest attempt to achieve, for some they will be the
24 / FEATURE ➜ LEADERSHIP
minimum and they will be able to offer far more to support children with SEND.
The current situation is a reminder that we are only as strong as one another, and that the actions of all of us count as we strive for equity and equality of opportunity for our children and young people. Finally, just as the standards are universal, so are the attributes of leadership. Therefore, should the role of SENCO be considered a stepping-stone on the pathway to headship?
BIO
E R I C A W O L S T E N H O L M E
Erica is the South West regional lead for Whole School SEND. She is currently an independent educational consultant specialising in special needs. She was previously a strategic SENCO for an all-through school and a secondary school within the Olympus Trust in South Gloucestershire.
A N G E L A H O L D S W O RT H ,
C E O AT S E A V I E W T R U S T:
The Sea View Trust is a North West based inclusive Trust comprised of three primary academies, two special academies and a specialist college. The Trust was formed through merger in November 2019 and, since this date, a key focus has been the harmonisation of terms and conditions for all staff.
The Sea View Trust invests heavily in continuing professional development for all. As part of the DfE Opportunity Area programme, many staff in our Trust have benefited from the national professional qualifications (NPQ) suite and were therefore highly familiar with the previous Headteacher Standards.
In response to COVID-19 pressures, which have significantly impacted staff attendance in our academies, the decision was taken to delay the appraisal cycle end-date to November 2021. Fortuitously, this allowed Trust academies to be early adopters of the 2020 Headteacher Standards, incorporating them into the 2020-21 appraisal cycle for all leadership teams.
All staff paid on the leadership spine, and those with aspirations for leadership roles, were provided with a copy of the 2020 Headteacher Standards, presented as simple self-evaluation grid. Appraisees identified if they met, partially met, or exceeded the standard, evidencing their response. Self-evaluation outcomes were used to frame the appraisal conversation, with the appraiser ‘testing’ the evidencebase provided.
In assessing the impact of the appraisal approach, we welcome the priority afforded to ethics and professional conduct within the revised standards. Trust leaders are keen to use these standards to drive forward leadership which reflects the core vision and values of the Trust. Conversations around the implementation of these standards and the embodiment of the Seven Principles of Public Life (Nolan Principles) are particularly important in supporting those who are new to leadership roles, with these standards being equally transferable to those in senior teaching or business roles within our Trust academies.
BIO
A N G E L A H O L D S W O RT H M A ( S E N )
Angela is the Lancashire and West Yorkshire regional lead for Whole School SEND and Teaching School Council national SEND lead. Angela is also CEO for the Sea View Trust, an inclusive Lancashire-based Trust, and has 25 years of senior leadership experience in special and mainstream schools.
As an inclusive trust we welcome a standard wholly focused on Additional and Special Educational Needs. However, we encourage all our leaders to view all 10 Headteacher Standards through a lens of inclusivity and believe this to be central to our mainstream school leaders’ focus on both culture and ethos and strong, effective governance.
We believe that leadership is a journey and that the Standards can be used in a supportive appraisal system, almost like a spiral curriculum, to ensure those reaching headship have the full complement of prerequisite skills.
