Emerging Patterns of school leadership

This paper outlines the key findings from a study examining emerging forms of school leadership, conducted by the University of Manchester on behalf of the National College for School Leadership (NCSL). The findings are drawn from a literature review and accounts of practice based on research conducted in 20 schools and collaborative arrangements. This study set out to map and explore emerging practice and to highlight possible future directions in leadership, management and governance that may support the further development of the education system.

Key findings:
- The research literature currently available provides only a partial account of developments on the ground.
- Changes in local arrangements are helping schools to cope with an increasingly complex education agenda.
- Innovative and traditional approaches appear in combination.
- New leadership arrangements that are seen as liberating by some staff can be seen to increase constraints and pressures felt by others.
- The picture is fluid and the pace of change rapid.
- The local context plays an important role in the adoption and development of new leadership patterns and structures.

The report makes the following conclusions:
- Movement is towards better coordination of education provision (such as through collaboration)
- The role of leaders has expanded to include partnership working with a range of agencies.
- Although the drive behind of this is to improve student outcomes, there is little evidence of this, mostly because it has not been tested.

Leadership of Academy schools

This NCSL Research Associate study examines and analyses the nature of successful leadership of academies and investigates the leadership styles, qualities, skills and contextual dimensions which enable previously seriously under-performing schools to transform themselves whilst their leadership operates under the microscope of close public scrutiny.

Key points:
- Amongst the twelve Academy Principals interviewed there was a general consensus that they had all received, mostly unwelcome, media attention during their first three years in post.
- Leaders of academies identified a need for political and entrepreneurial leadership skills to cope with the demands of this context. Distributed leadership was also found to be an important and effective strategy.
- Academy leaders need to be aware of political developments at both the macro and micro level. While important in any school, the need for such leadership skills in academies is particularly marked.
- The Principal respondents reported the maturation of bodies such as the Academies Division at the Department for Children Schools and Families, have helped to address broader concerns reported in the media.
- Changes in both local and national political climates during the period of research were felt to have impacted positively on the way in which Academies were viewed by the media and local communities.
- The international interest which the Academies programme seems to have generated has added a different dimension to the way in which Academies are seeing themselves and their work.
- The incorporation and formal recognition of Academies into the Specials Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) has had a significant impact on their national profile amongst secondary schools.
- As a very publicly high profile programme the government has made use of several of the new Academies as centres from which to launch the announcement of major new
national initiatives. This has brought with it extensive national media coverage including television. Respondents talked of the very positive impact such media exposure
has had for their Academy.
- Respondents talked of the importance of involving the local community in the work of the Academy. They also commented on the impact of engaging the community in improving attitudes to learning and generating a culture of aspiration through winning their confidence.

School Business Managers and Distributed Leadership

This NCSL Research Associate report examined the impact of the key drivers on school leadership by evaluating distributed leadership research from an School Business Manager (SBM)/ bursar perspective; and carry out a survey of what is happening across UK state schools.

Key findings:
- 69% of respondents to the survey indicated their school had a SBM/bursar.
- Funding and teacher perceptions were the main barriers to not having a bursar. While headteachers broadly supported the SBM/bursar role, comments indicated that in practice, this support related largely to the SBM/bursar authorising involvement in professional development programmes and less to an understanding of the wider value of the role within the school.
- Completion of the Certificate in SBM/ Diploma in SBM, staff changes and the introduction of the Department for Schools, Families and Children’s Financial Management Standards in Schools were quoted as the main drivers in SBMs/bursars becoming members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).
- SBM/bursar roles have existed in primaries on average only for two years, compared with five years for secondaries. This suggests that primaries are still in the process of adapting to SBMs/bursars.
- 59% of bursars were on the SLT. In many cases, their responsibilities were restricted to managing aspects of the office team. Furthermore, the ‘average’ bursar only oversaw around 40% of support staff, indicating that in a number of schools, the SLT and headteacher continue to retain control over many support functions.
- The work of SBMs in primary schools was more likely to be restricted to operational issues relating to finance, personnel and office issues, than was the case in secondary schools.
- SBMs in secondary schools were far more likely to operate at a senior or strategic level than their primary counterparts. Organisational size was likely to be a major factor in this, as larger budgets and staff numbers offer greater flexibility to operate.
- 52% of SBMs/bursars are paid at or below Newly Qualified Teacher rates. Some SBMs felt this reflected poorly on the perceived value of their work and in some instances led to resentment.
- 33% of SBM respondents possessed a degree level or higher qualification. This figure rose to 85% when the CSBM/ DSBM qualifications were taken into account. Respondents indicated that increased take-up of the CSBM/DSBM would help to reduce both perceived and real inequalities in the professional status of teaching and school business staff.
- Around one third of CSBM/DSBM graduates expressed interest in continued professional development.

School governors and Head Teachers

This research associate report from the NCSL explores the strategic role that headteachers and governors carry out in partnership in three case study schools. Although small-scale, it seeks to:
- Identify similarities which may facilitate a higher level of strategic operation.
- Describe some of its benefits and barriers to this.
- Provide practical examples of how this vision of strategic partnership might work in action.

Key points:
- Each of the governing bodies adopted a structure which enabled an inner-circle of experienced, committed governors to work alongside school leaders in review and futures thinking activities. This model was recommended by both the governors and headteachers interviewed.
- However, allied to their adoption of this approach, was an awareness of the need for succession planning and the need to build the capacity for strategic planning amongst governors more broadly. This was critical if a culture of dependency was to be avoided.
- The way in which these governing bodies worked in partnership with the headteacher was aided by a range of practices and specific attitudes, including: a clear understanding regarding each other’s roles and remits; the creation of opportunities for staff and governors to work together; a focus on utilising governors’ skills in order to maximise the contribution of individuals; providing development opportunities for governors’ skills to grow and, linked to this, planning for succession; the promotion of a trust-based relationship that facilitated both honest and open dialogue; governors offering challenge within the remit of critical friend.
- Identified practices employed by governors, which enabled them to function strategically, included; not involving themselves in the day-to-day management of the school unless it was to enable the headteacher to focus more on their core purpose of teaching and learning; working alongside school leaders in review and futures thinking activities and offering support and challenges; enabling innovation and risk-taking; establishing a clear understanding of strategic leadership linked to self-evaluation; viewing change as challenge and not being daunted by it.

The role of school leadership in England

This NCSL research associate report aimed to answer the question: How can the role of headship be made possible, maintaining a headteacher’s energy and enthusiasm?


There were two sub-questions to this:
1. What is the nature of a headteacher’s working week?
2. What approaches and strategies can be adopted to help headteachers deal with the demands of their role?



Key findings:
- During the course of the study, on average the group of headteachers worked 42.5 hours per week. There was relatively little variation between individual members of the group.
- 22% of the head teachers time was spent on administration and a further 20% spent on development of self and working with others. Just 1% of time was spent on shaping the future.

- The study identified a range of factors that inhibited headteachers’ effectiveness and threatened the longer-term sustainability of the role. These ‘inhibitors’ could be broadly classified as being either emotional (guilt and anxiety) or operational (such as "fire-fighting"; administering; controlling or procrastinating).

- Headteachers should be encouraged to undertake a critical reflection of the nature of their work, based on the following principles:
1. Headteachers should be supported to focus on the strategic rather than the operational dimensions of their work.
2.While recognising the emotional difficulties involved, headteachers should endeavour neither to carry guilt nor avoid the critical issues they face.
3. Headteachers should model the importance of professional development, displaying a commitment to their own learning.

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.

Positive Leadership at school level

This research by the Audit Commission (which was blogged earlier), explored the external factors to school success, of which 6 "Key Features" were identified. One of which, "Positive Leadership at School Level" is summarised below:

Key points:

- The leadership of individual head teachers is critical in mobilising staff, pupils and the community behind the broader agenda. This level of commitment is variable across schools.

- The NCSL, Ofsted, ECM and workforce remodelling are ensuring schools need to develop schools ability to respond to the wider community needs.

- Schools partnerships with local church or other faith communities; local business or the voluntary sector can also be useful.

- Schools need to set out a clear and individual vision, incorporated within school plans, which sets out the school's role in the local area and how the school will work with the whole range of public services in support of both school and community success.

Examples of schools in Kirklees and Leeds inform the report.

Future of school leaders

The National College of School Leadership have released this interesting paper which captures the main thoughts on leadership by looking through this history of leadership theory. Originally designed for the NHS, it is amended for school leaders and shows the relevance of the theory across various disciplines. A good introduction to the basic ideas around leadership.

School leadership and ECM

The National College for School Laadership commissioned NFER to research the links between school leadership and Every Child Matters (ECM). Their report has 6 key messages:

1. Effective school leaders are able to fully convince the staff in their school that a focus on ECM can raise standards and that ECM complements, rather than conflicts with, the standards agenda.
2. ECM cannot be achieved by a single school leader: effective school leaders share leadership responsibilities widely amongst the professionals working within the school
3. ECM outcomes cannot be achieved by the school alone: effective school leaders adopt a collaborative approach with other schools, agencies and services
4. ECM has widened school leaders’ role and led to an emerging model involving
leadership beyond their own institution, within the wider community
5. Effective school leaders believe in genuine student, parent, and community
consultation in order to develop locally responsive solutions to ECM
6. To implement ECM effectively, school leaders will require new skills: effective school leaders engage in ongoing professional development and promote a whole-school learning culture.

Developing the Children's Worksforce

A series of papers accompanied the news release by the DCSF setting out the next steps in terms of workforce development. This builds on a similar paper released earlier about the development of school staff.

Paper 1: next steps for children's workforce
This paper sets out what the DCSF expect the "Expert Group" examine and to report on in autumn 2008.
Key points:
- There is a clear definition of what the children's workforce is: "everyone who works with children and young people and their families, or who is responsible for improving their outcomes." (p.9)
- The following diagram is used (click to enlarge):

- A summary of improvement to teacher development many of which such as making teachers a masters qualification and transition to teaching programme have been announced previously.
- Upskilling the early years and play workforce.
- The "common core" (skills and knowledge used across the children's workforce) will be reviewed.
- A push towards more effective engagement with parents.
- A strategy to improve commissioning at Local Authority level.
- A move towards full integrated working, especially for children requiring additional support and the development of children's trusts.

Paper 2: Leading & Managing Children's Services in England
This looks at the development of strategic leaders of children's services and sets out a framework is set out for leadership and management within the (broad) sector. Alongside guidelines of what the elements of the framework are and how to use it (click to enlarge):

Study of School Business Managers

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) have followed up on their earlier (2003-04) study of School Business Managers (SBMs) to explore how business management is currently carried out in schools so as to inform future developments. Click for links.

Key findings:
- There has been a 21 per cent increase in the number of business managers employed in schools, with 91 per cent of secondary, 49 per cent of primary and 31 per cent of special schools now employing SBM's.
- 81 per cent of SBM's are female.
- 72 per cent of SBM's come from the following four sectors: finance, education, government and industry with the biggest increase between 2004 and 2007 being in finance.
- There is a shift in the number of minimum qualifications held by SBM's. 38 per cent gained their highest qualification at school, 32 per cent hold FE level qualifications and the number holding bachelors and masters degrees has remained constant between 2004 and 2007.

There are three career categories emerging:
Emergent role – professional development specialises in one of the school business management responsibility areas
Established role – often hold Certificate in School Business Management or Diploma in School Business Management, HE certificates, foundation degrees or bachelor's degrees
Expert SBM's – usually hold doctoral or masters qualifications, NBA licentiate or other executive diplomas from professional associations.

Recommendations:
- Provide further management training for key skills e.g. project management, reports writing, negotiating skills, team development and customer awareness.
- Develop higher level courses in response to the complexity of the educational environment in which school business managers operate and facilitate access to a consultant leader programme linked to that of headteachers.

Development of school business managers

The National College of School Leadership have announced an extension of the professional development for school business managers.

• A new advanced diploma of school business managers is to be launched.
• To support the new advanced diploma, the number who can undertake the current diploma in school business management will increase.
• Piloting of new roles: Advanced School Business Managers and School Business Directors has started throughout England.

Being the Best for Our Children Today

In March (2008) the DCSF launched their development strategy towards the workforce. Although they promised an action plan later in the year, the main blocks have been outlined:

• The launch of a "Transition to Teaching" programme to ensure more professionals from science, technology, engineering and maths enter teaching. Tailored advice will be given to applicants to assist identify whether skills are transferable and to help with transition into teaching.
• The TDA is continuing research into the barriers of teacher recruitment and retention and following their final report (June 2008) will recommend next steps.
• The National Leaders of Education programme (a scheme intended so that strong schools can support weaker schools) will be extended from 120 schools to 500. This will be linked to the National Challenge scheme to ensure no school is below the 30% GCSE pass rate.
• The Future Leaders programme (a leadership development programme aimed at the schools in challenging areas) will continue.
• The NCSL is to radically review all of their provision for current and aspiring leaders to ensure it is the very best provision.
• Masters in Teaching & Learning (MTL) will focus on teachers who have entered the profession in the last five years initially; experienced teachers will be trained to act as coaches; TDA and ASCL will cooperate to develop this.

Leading for social inclusion

The NCSL have released a paper on effective leadership for social inclusion in which they find mixed results on how useful current leadership is in assisting social inclusion.

Amongst the recommendations:

- For policy they suggest changes to how schools are measured and reported on; extra curricula freedoms; reduction in conflicting policies.
- For practice there needs to be a strong vision around social inclusion which is translated into appropriate structures. A variety of staff motivation techniques are needed and effective leader selection is important.
- For leadership development the authors believe that leadership motivation skills are more important than leadership structures; training for leadership when under pressure is crucial as are context and succession.