1. National Award for Middle Leaders
Module 1: Vision and Values

2. Session Objectives To explore what ‘vision’ is and it’s importance.
To understand the relationship between values and vision.
To reflect on your school or academy’s vision.
To begin to build or develop a vision for your team or area of responsibility.

3. I have a dream
Visions inspire us and paint a picture of a better future
Those four words ‘I have a dream’ are some of the most famous words in recent history. Martin Luther King Jnr had a dream, a vision that he shared with over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This vision spread across America and fueled one of the greatest changes in the nation’s history.
(See blog post “I Have a Dream”: The Power of a Vision for your Organization, by Jeff James, Disney Institute

4. Walt Disney’s Dream
“To make people happy”

5. Definition: vision
“A mental image of what the future will or could be like”
- Oxford Dictionaries.
The vision focuses on what the organisation intends to become (the how comes later).

6. Mission and vision
Vision statements- this is the kind of school/team you want to create.
Mission statements – this is what your school does and why it does it.

7. Why does vision matter
“‘Building vision and setting directions’ established as one of the key leadership skills all successful school leaders draw upon.”
Leithwood et al (2009)
You may want to recommend delegates watch the Simon Sinek TED talk on ‘How great leaders inspire action’
Discussion Questions:
What does the word ‘vision’ mean to you?
What visions inspire/have inspired you as a teacher?

8. Some middle leaders visions
“Every young person secures a university place”
“For all children in our school to love maths, be numerate and achieve a good maths qualification”
“To make year 7 a welcoming start to pupils journey at our academy and ensure student feel safe, loved and supported to achieve their potential.”
“Pupils feel confident about their bodies, what they can do and achieve in sport. They leave valuing physical exercise and those who want to compete are supported to achieve the highest accolades.”
“Children are excited to come to school and learn and their parents value the early years experience we provide”
“We achieve the best history results in the local authority”

9. Values before vision

10. Values before vision
Underlying a vision is a set of personally held values that should shape and direct all that goes before it. In education we might call this the moral purpose.
School leadership is essentially a moral activity; educating the public’s children, deciding what should be learned, by what means and to what ends is a moral consideration.
Research into the impact of school leadership on pupil outcomes repeatedly reveals the strong moral dimension of outstanding school leaders (Day et al., 2009, Begley and Johansson, 2003).

11. My values What beliefs do I have?
What are my most deeply held values and do I live by them at all times, good and bad?
What principles guide me as a leader?
What is the quality and integrity of my spoken and written word?
What behaviours do I exhibit for others to see and are they congruent with my values?
What are your core values as a person and professional? (try to write down at least 5)

12. School example: a values grid
Respect
Honesty
Fairness
Diversity
Moral choices
Humility
Responsibility
Caring
Empathy
Compassion
Tolerance
Diligence
Independence
Perseverance
Interdependence
Trust
Kindness
Achievement
Challenge
Co-operation
Brent Davies (2006:33) Leading the strategically focused school.
This example is taken from the book ‘Leading the strategically focused school’ (2006) by Brent Davies. The values grid was produced by staff on a training day using key words to sum up their values. The grid is then used with students and parents as a basis as a basis for additions and deletions before a set of value statements can be written down.

13. Creating a vision in context

14. Personal, Team and School Vision
Your vision:
Needs to meet the school’s goals
Is formed from your values
Is a visible and public declaration
Will guide the actions of all involved
Reflects the knowledge, philosophy and actions of all
Is a key component of strategic planning
School Vision and Values
Team Vision and Values
Personal Values and Vision
Departmental/team plan and goals/targets

15. Your school What is the vision for the school? Whose vision is it?
How is this shaped by its context, journey and values?
What does the vision look like day-to-day in the school?
How would a parent / student / teacher / governor experience the vision?
What inspires you about the vision?
What is your role as a middle leader in realising the vision?

16. Imagine your team/department
What does it feel like for students
What is like to work in the team
If an outsider were to describe it what would they say

17. Your vision
What is your vision for your department / year group / area of responsibility?
What does this look like day-to-day?
How does it align with the school’s vision?
Do members of your team know the vision?
How do team members contribute towards the vision?
Write your vision for your department / responsibility area on a post it note.
Encourage all participants to share their visions and post them together for display and discussion.

18. Visioning as a group activity - ideas
Ask your team about their personal visions for themselves as professionals – can you map out overlapping areas and wordsmith this into a departmental/team vision.
Do a brainstorm of all the words students and staff would use to describe what perfect would look like and make these in to a wordle.
As a team create a picture of the ideal scenario – what would pupils and staff be doing? Learning? Saying?

19. Group discussion and sharing
Can everyone have a different personal vision and yet meaningfully contribute to a single collective vision? (or does this lead to ‘double-vision’ or ‘division’?)

20. Thank you
Please complete evaluation forms