Improving School Leadership A System Response

1. Improving School LeadershipA System Response Mr. Paddy Flood, LDS

2. System

3. Progress Noted Professional associations Professional development Leadership in inspection reports Salary improvements Strong management bodies

4. Diagram

5. Profile - why?: • Provide inspiration to aspirants, clarifying their expectations about the profession • Offer guidance to those seeking to improve practice • Articulate the complexity of school leadership to the outside world • Contribute to policy development

6. Benefits to Practitioners • Affirming professional status • Articulate the knowledge, skills and attributes required of practitioners • Focus for professional learning • Enhance professional self esteem • Accountability to self and the profession

7. School Leadership Matters in terms of the quality of outcomes for pupils Requires a focus on learning centred activity – requires change Requires a clarity of purpose among all stakeholders Level of autonomy requires consideration

8. Learning Centred Leadership Tasks v attitude Job description v moral purpose Office v site of learning

9. School Leadership Distributed Not a job for one person Lack of evidence on distributed leadership Roles of all stakeholders Patterns of distribution matter

10. Attractiveness of Role • Work-life balance is a key factor • Dependence on support and direction • Other career pathways are attractive • Is dependent on impact on student achievement • Recruitment requires professionalisation

11. Succession Planning

12. Leadership Development Needs for focus on the continuum Has significant contribution to make to professionalisation: Toraíocht Variety and creativity in delivery methods Is a crucial policy lever in the system

13. Focused Agenda • Clarity and Professionalism • Linking the four strands of the report • Consideration of leadership in the change process • Leaders as a system resource • Leadership as an attractive career option