How to make sure we get right people in charge of our schools

Published on Wednesday 20 August 2008 22:46

Anne Pearson Former headteacher who now works for global management consultancy Hay Group

IT HAS been said that if you scratched away the surface of a teacher, you'd find a moral purpose underneath. Most teachers are driven by a calling to the profession; however, it now looks as though that may not be enough.

Earlier this week, The Scotsman reported that fewer depute heads were now willing to take the next step up the ladder as a result of witnessing the pressure under which headteachers find themselves; compounding the problem is the number of heads seeking early retirement to escape that pressure. Be under no illusion, teaching is hard work.

The school always comes first, which, contrary to the popular belief that teachers are on the couch with a cuppa by 3:10pm, means long hours and weekend working, impacting on social and family life. The problem for headteachers is that day-to-day teaching is replaced by ultimate accountability for the performance of the school, plus a raft of other things that weren't previously part of their jobs.

Headteachers are living effigies of the phrase "the buck stops with me", which is counterproductive not only for the individuals concerned, but for the schools they lead. As in any organisation, the most effective form of leadership is one that not only delegates tasks to the right people, but creates clear accountability for delivery of those tasks. The image of head- teachers as tireless, superhuman school saviours should be abandoned for the good of all – not least the pupils, who are the ultimate markers of success.

Clearly, few teachers currently covet headship. But headteachers shouldn't feel as though they must run schools unaided. Sharing accountabilities, where individual members of staff accept responsibility for a particular task, whether that's organising the Christmas party or driving a new maths initiative, would ease the burden. At the same time, less senior teachers would be exposed to the kind of work that falls under the head's remit.

Modern teaching would benefit immensely from this form of leadership, but it is a significant change in direction from where we are now. Headteachers are often appointed on the basis that they were fantastic classroom teachers, which isn't the same thing as being a fantastic leader.

Many private companies have very good processes for spotting leadership potential among employees and deliberately encouraging and developing the behaviours that make good leaders. Not only does this ensure a stream of leaders for the future, but it offers career progression and motivation for those coming up through the ranks more quickly than might otherwise have been possible.

We've worked with a few Scottish education authorities on a similar model, and the early signs are good. You can't just pick leadership candidates out of a hat, though. Appoint the wrong leader to a school and you face the problem of losing a good classroom teacher without even gaining a decent head.

What will work is identifying behaviours exhibited by good headteachers and training future heads in line with these. But it isn't just a case of saying that excellence will be required – it needs to more clearly defined. What does excellence look like? What behaviours and outcomes must be exhibited for excellence to be achieved?

Those with leadership potential should be exposed to relevant challenges and opportunities outwith their day jobs, accompanied by the necessary resources and support, to prepare them for the unique challenges of leading a school.

By offering teachers the chance formally to develop leadership skills, schools can help reduce staff turnover and create a pool of ready-made leaders. Those who have researched, experienced and understood what is involved in headship are more likely to believe they can, and should, do it.

The number of teachers in training shows the moral purpose still exists – but changes are clearly needed if the desire that brings people into teaching is to be enough to carry them into headships, which are once again fulfilling and rewarding.