The Governing Body’s Role in Promoting Headteacher Well-being Janet Copeland Chris Meddle Paul Walker

Increasing expectations OFSTED pressure Rapid change and uncertainty Change continues to be constant Recruitment and demography – supply and demand It’s a great job Some national and local context

Global / national Local and Organizational Personal

Governing Bodies must ensure that the headteacher has an appropriate workload, in support of a reasonable work/life balance, having regard to their health and welfare.

Those who thrive and achieve a positive worklife balance ……….. Were effective at distributing leadership and building capacity Positive and active life outside school Could deal confidently and comfortably with negative staff, pupil and parent issues Could prioritize their personal and professional lives Had supportive networks and collaboratives

Questions for governing bodies to ask. Is our Head expensive PPA or supply cover? If our Head teaches, is it for the right reasons? Does our Head have dedicated and flexible headship time? Are resources allocated to support our head as our leader? Have we agreed appropriate packages of external review and support for our leader including induction and a mentor if new to post? Does the governing body work as a team with a clear direction for the school?

Questions for governing bodies to ask. Are we all committed to our monitoring role and do we support school improvement? Does our Head’s performance management have a well-being target? Have we got the right balance between challenge and support? Do we thank our head enough and recognise achievements? Do we all understand the difference between our strategic role and the operational responsibilities of our leader?

Questions for governing bodies to ask. Do we all understand our increasingly complex role, by inducting new governors and ensuring we have a highly trained governing body? Do we have an annual work plan, that balances out our meeting start and finish times? Do we encourage our Head to collaborate with other colleagues and to seek peer support? If we are an academy, have we replaced the LA counselling scheme. Have we discussed supervision opportunities with our Head?

Models widely used in other caring professions were there is high degree of ‘emotion work’ Enables reflection, learning and ‘putting down the burden’ Essentially three functions…. Functions of supervision

Qualitative Monitoring and improving the quality of your work Developmental Developing your competence in your role, continuing your learning Resourcing Restorative Supportive, a place to reflect on issues, problems – in a positive and reflective way

An example of supervision In schools where there is a genuine need, where Heads are overwhelmed with Child Protection issues, Safeguarding Supervisions held ½ termly. Last 1 hour, all formally recorded. Main reasons for supervisions are: to ensure processes and procedures have been carried out appropriately to help Head retain confidence in own actions to ensure that nothing further/different could have been done to ensure Head is able to offload in confidence.

A contemporary example of Education Adviser support Safeguarding reviews – arising from Heads’ concerns about the 2015 inspection framework Review, not audit – helicopter view of safeguarding A focus on the SCR Coaching model and supportive