In case you missed it… recent highlights from NCSL in Dialogue, talk2learn’s online community for national education debate:
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Download a pdf version of talk2learn highlights: issue 8b (208kb, 1 page)
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What distinguishes an exceptional school leader and how important is personal style? These themes were explored in a talk2learn hotseat for NCSL‘s Leading from the Middle programme with Kathleen Butler, an international authority on professional development in education.
You’ve made it to the shortlist but how do you impress the panel? Successful heads and would-be candidates shared their interviewing experiences in a recent talk2learn discussion, led by Peter Addison-Child, a specialist in leadership recruitment in education,
skills and children’s services.
What distinguishes an exceptional school leader and how important is personal style?
These themes were explored in a talk2learn hotseat for NCSL‘s Leading from the Middle programme with Kathleen Butler, an international authority on professional development in education. School leaders were eager to know more about adapting Kathleen’s insights to their own context.
Starting a new job, Joanne Hunt from Lancashire wanted to introduce changes without ruffling feathers. New leaders have to tread carefully, Kathleen agreed:
The exceptional leader is respectful that he/she is joining an established culture and takes the time to learn about the culture, the people, and the needs before making any significant changes..
Alastair Wood, a primary head, wondered whether it was possible for leaders to alter their core style: "Clearly we all have styles which we operate from and return to at times of stress. To what extent can we learn other styles? And would the learned style ever succeed the dominant?"
It is possible to incorporate other styles into one’s own, Kathleen acknowledged, but not fundamentally to replace one with another: "In the long run, healthy and productive growth occurs when we work with, rather than replace, our own style and then learn how to broaden ourselves with other styles."
But how do exceptional leaders react when others leaders don’t share their aspirations? This was a point raised by several contributors. Steph Jones felt that an essential factor for exceptional leaders was a conscience about their influence on others: "What can we do to compensate in a school where the leader lacks that conscience?"
Lead by example, said Kathleen: "Find the pockets in which you can make a difference for each other and for children and use them to build momentum towards a better way. One question that always seems to stop poor leadership in its tracks is Can you help me understand how this decision is good for children?"
One contributor was interested in problems faced by leaders in a wider leading learning community? "What benefits can the exceptional leader derive to avoid feeling that all they do is give …as the focus is so often upon supporting the weaker members?"
The exceptional leader always has all children in mind, said Kathleen not just their own: "The exceptional leader would build relationships with the leaders of a weaker or needier school in an attempt to create peer networks where collaboration could benefit all teachers."
Deputy Carolyn Palfreyman was keen to know more about Kathleen’s view that exceptional leaders’ schools do not fall apart when they move on.
Such leaders create different legacies in schools based on their own strengths, said Kathleen: "Ultimately exceptional leaders help staff become the true leaders in a school, but in very different ways."
You’ve made it to the shortlist but how do you impress the panel?
Successful heads and would-be candidates shared their interviewing experiences in a recent talk2learn discussion, led by Peter Addison-Child, a specialist in leadership recruitment in education, skills and children’s services.
Is it better to keep your options as broad as possible and apply to several schools at once or to target only ones you feel enthusiastic about? The latter was the general consensus, to avoid wasting time and emotional energy.
"From a more tactical point of view,even unsuccessful applications are seen by a whole range of people, including local authority reps who might be involved in other recruitment processes in the future," Peter added. "Putting in hasty applications can damage your reputation."
Anne Munro, a headteacher-turned-local authority adviser from Middlesbrough, recommended finding "a good friend or colleague to practise questions and answers with so that on the day you can override any nerves you may have."
A recently appointed head from Colchester advised "letting your passion for particular areas of school improvement show," and "answer truthfully as everything you propose will have been noted by somebody."
Some contributors felt the recruitment process was too weighted in favour of existing heads. Higher salary levels would be one indication, said Peter, but the best way to identify such signals is to have an informal chat in advance with someone like the chair of governors, if possible.
David Shakeshaft, a deputy head in Solihull, wondered if there was a set length of experience required before governors would take any application for headship seriously: "I have taught for 11 years, been an advanced skills teacher for three and a deputy for nearly two. Is this enough?" Colleagues had also intimated that he might be too young, he added.
Quality rather than age should be the determining factor, said Peter: "If you think you might be coming from left field on this one, then I think you need to have a really clear proposition for the governors. What is it that you will bring to this job that differentiates you from others and how will you articulate it?"
For more information on applying for headship see www.bestukbettingsitesnotongamstop.co.com/beahead.