1 Celebrating 40 Years of Middle School Education Looking forward to the next 10 years Leading for Success Maggie Farrar National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services

2 What next - Ministerial priorities Enhance prestige and status of teaching profession Safe, secure and orderly learning environment Reform curriculum and qualifications Greater autonomy for schools and school leaders Engage new providers and improve parental choice Sector led school improvement Reform accountability systems – new role for OFSTED Reform funding system – pupil premium

3 Challenges Within school variability Closing the gap Sustainability of leadership Continuous improvement within a time of austerity

4 Leading successfully – 4 areas 1.Growing the next generation of school leaders 2.Supporting a self improving system 3.Leading in times of austerity 4.Investing in your own leadership development and that of others – focusing on what matters

5 Growing the next generation – why ? School leadership faces a demographic challenge: Two-thirds of heads are aged 50 and over. One third are 55 or over Heads have always been older but never in these numbers (see Fig 1 right) Retirement rates look set to rise until at least 2012 Black and minority ethnic teachers and women are under-represented in senior leadership A new, younger generation is coming through Different models of leadership are now common: Most secondaries have a trained School Business Manager, and around a third of primaries do Two-thirds of leaders working beyond their school. Fig 2 Executive headship increasing - around 450 in 900 schools Evidence these new models are improving outcomes (Manchester University, 2009) 40 sponsors of multiple academies either open or in the pipeline. 15 “all-through” academies open or planned Fig 2: Percentage of heads who say they have provided leadership support to other schools or heads Fig 1: percentage of heads aged 50 or 55 over in past 3 decades Sources: Fig 1 – College analysis; Fig 2 – Illuminas, 2010

6 Aspiration for headship is up: 41% of teachers now aspire to headship, up from 35% in 2008 and 32% in % of middle leaders now aspire to headship (29% in 2008) 36% of women now aspire to become a head (31% in 2008) 1.5 Aspiration for headship is up and the younger generation is hungry for opportunities to develop Source: Illuminas, 2008 and Headship index survey, 2008/2009 Currently looking for such opportunities Not really looking for such opportunities but would be somewhat interested in them Not really interested in such opportunities Not currently looking for such opportunities but would be very interested in them To what extent are you looking to take on additional leadership responsibilities within your school to develop your skills?

7 Untapped talent ? ‘Any one organisation has more leaders than it realises’ McKinsey and Co The leadership effect – how the worlds best performing systems develop and grow their leaders

8 Growing the next generation – how ? Being identified as a potential leaderOpportunities to take on responsibility Discussions with peers Working as a deputy head Coaching Mentoring Formal training Learning through experience Learning from the experienced

9 Growing the next generation of leaders Your role as talent spotters Internships, stretch assignments, ‘swops’ Who are the next generation – can you name them ? Growing the next generation for schools ‘ as are’ or ‘ as will be’ ? What will make middle schools the place for young leaders to learn the craft of leadership ?

10 Harnessing the energy, the motivation and the moral purpose of the system to do it for itself Local solutions – cluster based – partnership oriented Characterised by ‘ co construction’ – and the building of professional relationships within an between schools Single autonomous units or a self improving system ?

11 The role of leaders in a self improving system A value – a conviction that leaders should strive for the success of all schools and their students not just their own. A disposition to action – a commitment to work with other schools to help them to be successful and to learn from others A frame of reference – to see one’s role as a servant leader here to serve for the greater benefit of the education service as a whole.

12 Leading in times of austerity 54% spent on teachers 26% on staff 20% non employee related Size of leadership teams ? Curriculum planning ? Support staff ? Ask the people ………

13 Leaders leading learning ‘All leaders are remarkable similar …. But the highest performing are different in one respect ……’

14 Leaders as leading the learning of others Leaders focus on the following five core tasks, but it is appointing and developing good teachers that makes the most difference… Source: Prof Vivianne Robinson, 2008

15 Learning centred leadership Leaders ………………….. Monitor – I constantly assess quality Model – everything I say and do shows I put high quality learning and teaching first Dialogue – what you say matters to me and I can learn from you

16 Its rooted in learning – in pursuit of a goal It knows how and where it is making a difference – data It is open to challenge – who challenges and how ? It requires reflection – time and space It needs support – tough friends and networks It is collaborative – and asset based – and reciprocal It is work-based – learning about leadership on the job Learning to lead – a life time practice Personal change before organisational change Leadership development matters

17 What next – the constants ……. Influence – leadership is a social process and leaders are focused on influencing others to achieve better outcomes Values, ethics and integrity – good leaders are informed by and communicate A strong set of personal and organisational values The inner life of leaders - moral / spiritual / intellectual Vision, – good leaders have a clear vision for their organisation / team; they work to build shared meaning and common purpose Grow leaders – committed to developing people Deliver – clear on priorities, decisive and prepared to take the unpalatable Communicate – story telling and listening Inordinately high expectations, great optimism and belief in success

18 Why we do what we do …… It is not that I lack the desire to live beside rivers and among hills Hearing the wind – watching the sun and the rain But the thought of inequality in lifes affairs Offends my sense of rhythm – and disposes me To expend the passion that normally takes form in song or painting On matters of public interest And knowing that all things have their intrinsic nature I imitate the whale That perpetually desires to change the currents of the deep And torn by contradictory thoughts – I drink deep Du Fu – Tang Dynasty