WE DID YOU KNOW? In Greek mythology, the Titans were the Gods who ruled before the Olympians (Zeus, Hera et al). In the first generation of 12 Titans, the males were Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus (the leader and father of Zeus), Crius, and Iapetus. The females were Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, and Themis. The Titans were overthrown by the Olympians in the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans.
tion with the staff team, so that everyone knows what’s going two deputies, one assistant head and 27 teachers with responsibilon. “It’s definitely more difficult,” agrees Kevin at Christchurch. ity areas. The ability to delegate is key, says Kevin, and managing “Getting everyone together is hard. We have weekly briefings, a large staff group brings its own challenges, but conversely it’s screens around the school and message boards, and our staff easier to attract and retain high-quality staff, because there are room is large enough for us all. But ease of communication is always opportunities for promotion. “The year group is the key something you lose.” operating group and each year has a lead who’s dealing with a lot of things a head would do in a smaller school,” says Kevin. Despite the challenges, neither Mark nor Kevin would want to Both Mark and Kevin emphasise that, for a head, the job of go back to a much smaller school. “I wouldn’t like less than three leading a very large primary is entirely different to that in a -form entry. I like children to feed off each other,” says Kevin. smaller school. Neither of them teaches and both have to be Mark is even more bullish. “The key thing, whatever the size, is very good people managers and organisers. “You have to learn resources,” he says. “If I had purpose-built facilities, I’d have no very quickly what you can and can’t do,” says Mark. “In my last problem with a primary school of 1,200 pupils.” school I did almost all the assemblies and spent a third of my time teaching. Here I do hardly any assemblies and I don’t teach. I’d struggle in front of a class now, but I do a lot of lesson SCHOOL AUTHORITY PUPILS observation and I do know what a good lesson Gascoigne Primary School Barking 1066 looks like,” he says. Barclay Primary School Leyton and Wanstead 1036 One question that troubles John Howson at Data for Education is how to make sure there Elmhurst Primary School West Ham 993 is a leadership pathway to ensure there are Durand Academy Vauxhall 976 enough people who want to run schools in Essex Primary School East Ham 972 general and large schools in particular. “We’ve Sandringham Primary School East Ham 946 struggled for the past 25 years to ensure a Christchurch Primary School Ilford South 943 steady supply of primary heads. A deputy in Wilbury Primary School Edmonton 942 a Titan primary either has to become head in Uphall Primary School Ilford South 938 another Titan or lead a smaller school and take Pinkwell Primary School Hayes and Harlington 928 a pay cut,” he observes. Geoff Southworth, visiting professor at the Ripple Primary School Barking 915 Institute of Education, and an expert in priNewbury Park Primary School Ilford North 902 mary school leadership, describes the role of Starbank Primary School Birmingham, Hodge Hill 886 head in a very large primary as one of executive Churchtown Primary School Southport 885 chairman. He did a study of leadership in small, Central Park Primary School East Ham 883 medium and large primaries a few years ago Nelson Primary School East Ham 882 and, despite sharing the cultural disposition Sudbury Primary School Brent North 870 towards small primary schools, found himself Warren Road Primary School Orpington 842 very impressed by the large ones. “They were very well organised. Leadership was shared Cuckoo Hall Academy Edmonton 841 and distributed and the heads and senior Wembley Primary School Brent North 840 teams were very aware of the need for school Balfour Primary School Brighton, Pavilion 839 to remain personal for every child. They kept a River Beach Primary School Bognor Regis and Littlehampton 839 sense of self and place for every child by ensurOcklynge Junior School Eastbourne 837 ing other people in the school were doing that.” Woodnewton A Learning Community Corby 837 The challenge most often cited to Geoff Highfield Junior and Infant School Birmingham, Hodge Hill 833 during his research was that of communica-
TOP 25: UK’S BIGGEST PRIMARIES
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