Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 1: Leadership and learning

Session 1: Key areas of middle leadership and management Leading and learning Valuing and visioning in context Communicating and decision-taking Motivating individuals and teams Managing conflict and difficult people Planning and implementing improvement Evaluating outcomes for learners

Session1: Learning outcomes By the end of this session you will have: Read and reflected on thought pieces relating to the functions and qualities of middle leaders in schools Clarified your ideas about the nature of middle leadership Evaluated your current middle leadership strengths against a standard Reflected on the link between middle leadership and learning

Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 2: Valuing and visioning in context

Session 2: Learning outcomes By the end of this session, you will have: Read and reflected upon a number of thought pieces relating to values, vision, culture and ethos Reflected upon your personal values and vision Analysed a school/department in terms of its ability to promote or hamper improvement Expressed leadership values in connection with any proposed school improvement project

“This is how we do things around here.” Session 2: Valuing and visioning in context CULTURE: A set of values and assumptions that underlie the statement “This is how we do things around here.”

Session 2: Leadership culture The way in which school leaders and managers treat their colleague, pupils and parents The appropriate use of power, influence and style will help leaders to secure the commitment of their colleagues, pupils and parents

Session 2: Ethos The ethos of a school is the quality of relationships in it as a result of the ‘way we do things around here’, particularly with regard to levels of mutual respect and collegial activity

Session 2: Climate The pervasive ‘atmosphere’ of a school or department, it’s warmth or coldness of welcome The climate of a school, like the ethos of a school, reflects the culture of a school

Session 2: Values Personal beliefs about what is really important in life. Values will influence a leader’s preferences and aspirations, perception of situations and problems and choice of behaviour in dealing with a given situation.

Session 2: Vision A mental picture of a preferred future for a school in which things are in some way better than they are now The composition of such a picture is influenced by our values

Session 2: The leader’s challenge To develop a consensus around the values that underpin an effective culture, climate and ethos To create a learning environment based on those values that is dedicated to raising the attainments and achievements of every pupil

Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 3: Communication and decision-making

Session 3: Learning outcomes By the end of this session, you will have: Read and reflected on a number of thought pieces related to communication and decision-making Reviewed the key skills required in identifying and reducing barriers to communication Reviewed the nature of the decision-making/ decision-taking process

Session 3: Leadership and communication It is impossible to exaggerate how important it is for any team leader to be able to communicate effectively Effective communication Builds relationships Builds trust Builds mutual respect

Session 3: Understanding the process of communication View communication as a people process, rather than a language process. Meaning is not in what is said or meant, but rather in what is heard and understood.

Session 3: Communication effectiveness When effective communication occurs, there is a mutual sharing of ideas and feelings out of which understanding develops and action can jointly be taken

Session 3: Barriers to communication Poor Interpersonal relationships Information Overload Differences in status Semantics Filtering Paralanguage Time

Session 3: Reducing communication barriers Establishing good interpersonal relationships Managing position power Acquiring feedback Being an active listener Displaying empathy Understanding the ethics of conversation

Consultative Autocratic Joint decision-making Distributive Session 3: The art of decision-making Four ways in which school leaders make group decisions Consultative Autocratic Joint decision-making Distributive

Session 3: Decision-making: Three key topics Quality and acceptance Degree of concern Level of decision-making

Session 3: The decision-making process Identify the problem Analyse critical issues Explore alternative solutions Assess solutions for best fit Select the best alternative Implement the alternative Evaluate the process and monitor the results

Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 4: Motivating people and building teams

Session 4: Learning outcomes By the end of this session, you will have: Read and reflected upon a number of thought pieces relating to motivation and team building Reflected on key principles in motivating individuals and teams Recognised the importance of adapting leadership style to context Reflected upon the qualities and skills required to build a team Reflected upon the importance of well-managed meetings

Session 4: Motivation No leader can rely upon genius: the supply is always scarce and unreliable. It is the test of a leader: To make ordinary people perform better than they seem capable of To bring out whatever strength there is in team members To use each person’s strength to help all the other members perform

Session 4: Motivation Intrinsic motivation is more powerful and lasting than any carrot or stick. So the secret is to create the kind of environment in which people will motivate themselves.

Session 4: Motivation There is one absolute when it comes to the uses of power, influence and leadership style to motivate people That is that there are no absolutes when it comes to the uses of power, influence and leadership style to motivate people

Session 4: Teamwork A team approach is particularly important in developing the plans, policies and procedures by which teaching and learning will be delivered. Team members will be much more inclined to commit themselves to the implementation of a particular approach if they have been jointly involved in its formulation in the first place. From the pupil perspective, there will be a consistency and coherence of approach that will enhance their learning.

Session 4: Teambuilding Performing Norming Storming Forming

Session 4: Chairing meetings Climate setting Leading the discussion Gate-keeping Refereeing Administering

Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 5: Managing conflict and difficult people

Session 5: Learning outcomes By the end of this session, you will have: Read and reflected upon a number of thought pieces about the nature of conflict Reflected on the management of conflict and difficult people Identified the key leadership skills, the principles and the steps that are required to remove or reduce conflict

Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional. Session 5: The nature of conflict Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional. When conflict is functional, the school benefits; is a win-win attitude and harmony exists. When conflict is dysfunctional, there is a win-lose attitude and hostility is produced .

Competition for scarce resources A desire for autonomy Session 5: Five main sources of conflict Competition for scarce resources A desire for autonomy Divergence over method and means Personality clashes Loose cannons

Session 5: Strategies for managing conflict Avoidance Smoothing Bargaining Power struggle Problem solving

Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 6: Planning and Implementing Improvement

Session 6: Learning outcomes By the end of this session, you will have: Understood the connection between the management process and the planning process Written a draft action plan with rationale Reflected upon your overall planning skills

Vision Values Aims Session 6: The management and planning process Audit Plan Implement Evaluate

Into Middle Leadership in Schools Session 7: Evaluating outcomes for learners

Session 7: Learning outcomes By the end of this session, you will have: Reviewed the importance of evaluation to professional practice Reflected upon the pros and cons of different methods of evaluation Confirmed the importance of rigorous self evaluation Carried out an evaluation of your SMART action and learning plans

Meet Needs Identify Needs Evaluate Impact Session 7: CPD and school improvement Identify Needs Meet Needs Evaluate Impact

Session 7: Who should evaluate and how? External – Inspector/QIO Internal – senior, peer, junior Self – after considering other views Observation Discussion Analysis of outcomes

Session 7: From CPD to School Improvement Four levels of evaluation Reaction of participants – what they thought of the CPD input Learning – the resulting increase for participants in knowledge and understanding Behaviour – the extent to which new knowledge and understanding led to new behaviour Impact – the effect of the new behaviour on learning outcomes