Critical Incidence for school leadership

This NCSL research associate report examined "critical incidences" within schools and the response of school leaders.

The main research questions are:
1. What factors/experiences give an individual the capacity and capability to deal effectively with Critical Incidents (CI) and Critical Episodes (CE)?
2. What specific strategies /support mechanisms do colleagues/organisations use to deal effectively with CIs and CEs?
3. What leadership styles and preferences enable individuals and organisations deal with CIs effectively?

Key points:
- The following factors and experiences were highlighted as helping individuals develop the capacity to cope effectively with CIs and CEs.
• Having a significant professional mentor who has shaped ethos, philosophy and modus operandi featured significantly in participant’s responses.
• A positive, happy childhood including positive happy experiences at school.
• A close, stable family, partner or significant other who is supportive.
• Experience of activities that helped to develop their EQ. That is being self aware, aware of others an understanding of ones personality.
• Positive experiences that has helped to develop feelings of self-efficacy.
• Experience of dealing with CIs and CEs.

The following actions are proposed:
- Develop a scheme to identify a professional mentor either within one’s own school or one who stays with an individual throughout their career. This would be problematic to establish but not impossible.
- Take time to carry out a review of CIs each term and identify what was learnt from them. Experiencing and coping with a CI or CE effectively builds up one’s immunity/resilience to their effect and helps to develop one’s capacity to cope initially and afterwards. Therefore protecting individuals from CIs might not always be beneficial to the individual or organisation.
- A sense of self-efficacy can be encouraged through a supportive professional development programme where staff have the skills, knowledge and opportunities to work effectively.