APTE Annual Conference 14 th July 2011 Leadership and a self improving school system

1. APTE Annual Conference 14th July 2011Leadership and a self improving school system Maggie Farrar Executive Director National College

2. The policy context “At the heart of this Government’s vision for education is a determination to give school leaders more power and control. Not just to drive improvement in their own schools - but to drive improvement across our whole education system. This policy is driven, like all our education policy, by our guiding moral purpose – the need to raise attainment for all children and close the gap between the richest and poorest.”

3. Secretary of State, Seizing Success Conference, June 2011Schools should be given ..“structures that encourage collaboration and the sharing of the benefits innovation brings.”“of course in this landscape, where more schools have significant autonomy……proper accountability becomes more accountable than ever.”

4. National College Remit ….. “As the College’s work has demonstrated, it is schools themselves and our best school leaders who are ideally placed to drive improvement in other schools. I look to you to continue your work in supporting them.” “ I realise it will take time to establish a fully school led system… we must not lose sight of our focus on transforming the quality of education for every pupil through effective leadership in every school.” The Secretary of State in the National College remit letter, March 2011

5. So what are the key aspects of the remit and how does this translate….. A new cadre of teaching schools…. as part of a local network, so that over time all schools benefit; The expansion of both the National and Local Leaders of Education; To refine and to begin to implement the Specialist Leaders of Education programme; Adapt the content design and delivery model for the NPQH; Identify and develop in primary in particular, talented leaders and potential executive Headteachers; Support Free School Principals, Chairs of Governors and leaders of early years; Build schools’ capacity to take increasing ownership of leadership development – schools to lead improvement Toward a self improving school system

6. Steve Munby, National College Chief Executive, Seizing Success Conference “At times of change and uncertainty, the leaders that are going to succeed are those that see change not as a threat, but as an opportunity to shape something that can be even better. And I do believe that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for leaders to seize the agenda.”

7. So… what is the task After over ten years of investment in leadership development. Is the system ready and prepared to support its own leadership development, talent and succession, and improvement ?

8. Prepared to lead • The biggest contribution to school leadership development lies in providing rich • and varied opportunities to lead – professional ‘ apprenticeship model’ • These are more numerous in partnerships, federations and chains • Such ‘ models’ report lower staff turnover • Leadership of learning and improvement ‘ top’ of the agenda • Range of models of leadership development and leadership learning • There is a case for the development of greater skills in the leadership of • learning (adults and children) • The attention given to the development of school staff as teachers and leaders • is an indicator of the effectiveness of the school or system leader • Matthews P; Higham R; Stoll L; Brennan J; Riley K; National College 2011

9. Learning through experience • Learning from the experienced How do leaders learn? % of high-performing principals citing each experience as having a major impact on their development Being identified as a potential leader Opportunities to take on responsibility Discussions with peers Working as a deputy head Coaching Mentoring Formal training Source: Survey of leaders across 8 top performing school systems in ‘Capturing the leadership premium’, McKinsey&CO, 2010

10. What makes a difference ? Support from credible peers, through mentoring and coaching Opportunity to access and to observe excellent practice Time for reflection Access to high quality research Opportunities to discuss with peers and to work with them on common issues Source: National College Illuminas Study 2009

11. National Support schools – what are we learning ? • Leadership focused on learning and teaching – leaders see it as core task • Staff given lots of opportunities to lead • Concept of ‘ growing our own’ strong • No one model of leadership development • Coaching and mentoring built into school way of working • Mutual benefit recognised from working with other schools • Knowledge and practice of effective partnership working, but less systematic • evaluation of benefits in building capacity • Opportunities for governors to work across schools not as frequent or • systematic as for other leaders • Source: Developing leadership: National Support Schools ( OFSTED 2010a)

12. System leadership – appetite ? • 25% currently undertaking or had previously undertaken a system leadership • role • 50 % headteachers are or have been a mentor to another headteacher • 40% of headteachers are currently undertaking more than one system • leadership role – and 25% are undertaking 2 or more simultaneously • These heads have strong established leadership and succession arrangements • in their own school • And those who don’t • Time • Confidence / capability • Source • The importance of teaching and the role of system leadership • National College (Illuminas commentary) 2011

13. 3.2 Towards a self-improving system? “There are four building blocks of a self-improving system: clusters of schools (the structure); the local solutions approach and co construction (the two cultural elements); and system leaders (the key people). These are already partially in place but need to be strengthened so that schools collaborate in more effective forms of professional development and school improvement.” David Hargreaves, Creating a self improving school system September 2010

14. Harnessing the energy, the motivation and the moral purpose of the system to do it for itself ; schools take ownership of the problem Local solutions – cluster based – partnership oriented Characterised by ‘ co construction’ – and the building of professional relationships within and between schools Expanding the concept and practice of system leadership Sustainability Self improving systems what are we learning from schools

15. The power of mass localism Government has traditionally found it difficult to support genuine local solutions while achieving national impact and scale. What makes local solutions effective is their local specificity, and the ability of groups to tailor solutions to local contexts. Policy makers need an approach that combines local action and national scale – an effective approach to ‘ mass localism’ . Bunt and Harris – Mass Localism 2010 ( NESTA)

16. The role of leaders in a self improving system A value – a conviction that leaders should strive for the success of all organisations and young people they serve not just their own. A disposition to action – a commitment to work with other organisations to Help them to be successful and to be open to learning from others A frame of reference – to see one’s role as a servant leader here to serve for the greater benefit of children and young people Specific roles National leaders of education and national support schools – 1000 Local leaders of education – 5000 Specialist leaders of education 10,000 Teaching Schools 500

17. The role of teaching schools • As well as offering training and support for their alliance themselves, teaching • schools will identify and co-ordinate expertise in partner schools, using the • best leaders and teachers to: • train new entrants to the profession alongside other partners, including • universities • lead peer-to-peer learning • spot and nurture leadership potential • provide support for other schools • The model is flexible and teaching schools will be able to choose strategic • partners such as other schools and universities to support the alliance. They • may also decide to join with other teaching schools to form a network of • teaching school alliances. • It will be important to build on other strong local partnerships, including with • local authorities, where appropriate. • The National College is working in partnership with the TDA

18. Who can be a teaching school? • Designation is open to: • any phase of school: nursery, primary, middle, secondary, 6th form college, • special or PRUs/short stay • any type of school including independent, academy, federated, faith school, free • school or part of a chain • smaller schools, such as small primaries, as the model enables two schools the • flexibility to job-share the role of leading a teaching schools alliance • Designation criteria • a clear track-record of successful collaboration with other schools • Ofsted outstanding for overall effectiveness, teaching and learning and • leadership and management • consistently high levels of pupil performance or continued improvement • an outstanding headteacher with at least three years headship experience, and • outstanding senior and middle leaders with capacity to support others.

19. TS Teaching school and its alliance schools

20. TS The teaching school designates SLEs from the alliance

21. TS SP SP SP Some alliance schools are strategic partners that take responsibility for some delivery

22. HEI SP SP SP All teaching schools will also have a university partner as a strategic partner

23. HEI TS TS SP SP SP The teaching school can also be a job-share

24. HEI HEI TS SP TS TS SP SP SP SP SP HEI TS SP SP LA SP SP A number of teaching school alliances decide to work together form a network to share services and knowledge – the R and \D network

25. Over 300 applications received with a good geographical spread and range of schools represented. Teaching Schools

26. Specialist Leaders of Education • Outstanding themselves, not their school • Range of roles • Skill • Track record • Capacity • Designated and brokered by teaching schools • QA by the College

29. Update on applications • Around 1,200 expressions of interest • Over 300 formal applications • Phase: • Over 45% - secondary schools • 35% - primary schools • 10% - special schools • Types: • 35% - community schools • 20% - voluntary aided or controlled school • 20% - foundation schools • 10% - academies (both sponsored and converters) • Geographical spread: • London, South East, North West – about 50 applications each • West Midlands & South West – more than 30 applications each • Yorkshire & Humber, East Midlands, North East - around 20 applications each • 3 applications from the independent sector • 28 applicants have been contacted as they don’t meet the OFSTED criteria • Over 40 schools to date have requested the opportunity to be part of the Ofsted • pilot to prove they have one teaching and learning.

30. A draft maturity model for teaching schools? 3 dimensions Partnership competence Professional development Collaborative capital David Hargreaves: leading a self – improving school system 2011 ( forthcoming )

31. The importance of joint practice development to a self improving system It will not be enough for teaching schools to continue the drive to the practice model of professional development. Their challenging task if to raise professional development to a new level through the exemplary use and dissemination of ‘ joint practice development’ This captures a process that is truly collaborative, not one- way; and the practice is being improved not just moved from one person or place to another. Joint practice development gives birth to innovation and grounds it in the routines of what teachers naturally do . If joint practice development replaced sharing good practice in the professional vocabulary of teachers we would, I believe, begin to see much more effective practice transfer in the spirit of innovation that is at the heart of a self improving system. David Hargreaves: leading a self – improving school system 2011 ( forthcoming )

32. “New ways of working” – recent announcements • Secondary floor standards from 35% - 40% by 2012 and 50% by end of parliament • During 11/12 88 sponsored academies expected 73 Sec, 13 Prim + 2 all through • 1,400 primary below the floor standard of 60% with 200 for more than five years • These 200 schools to be opened as sponsored academies by 2012 • LAs to be supported by the DfE in turning around the 500 of the 1,400 who have been below floor in two, or three, of past 4 years • In addition to the sponsored academies an additional 1,200 converter academies will create a larger pool of great schools to build chains and improve underperforming schools

33. Implications for Leaders • Seizing the opportunities and accepting the challenges presented by collaboration and partnership working • Considering the “pluses and minuses” for all schools of good and outstanding schools leading the system • Making the most of the freedoms, the flexibility and the associated responsibility and accountability • Accepting/working through the tensions/challenges • Becoming as skilled in enabling adult learning as enabling the learning of young people

34. “When the watering hole begins to shrink, the animals start to look at each other rather differently.” Professor Ben Levin

35. So what will motivate schools to be involved in system leadership? • Improve my own school • My own personal development • Responsibility to children outside my own school • Chance to bring back new ideas to own school • Open up opportunities for colleagues in own school • Give something back • Financial benefit to school • Opportunity to stay longer in role or continue after • retirement • Personal financial benefit Useful – research into challenges facing leaders and best practice in addressing them; 96% useful or very useful (64% very useful)

36. What leaders are reading (College reports) • Academies: leadership of sponsored and converting academies (10,000 views, 750 downloads) • Leading coaching in schools • Creating a self improving school system • Leadership development and personal effectiveness • Coaching for teaching and learning • What we know about school leadership • Leadership for personalised learning • Seven Strong claims about successful leadership • Sustainable strategies for school improvement  - research associate full report • Success and sustainability (Top ten downloads – College research reports June 2011)

37. Finally ….. • Leadership has never been more important – • Leadership is moving up the agenda around the world • The more autonomous the system – the more important the quality of its leaders There is a trend toward greater autonomy Hence the increasingly high priority given to leadership development around the world But there will be a greater requirement for leaders to commit themselves not only to the improvement of their own organisations for the benefit of their children – but to the improvement, development and support of all.

38. Belonging to a greater whole and the spirit of Ubuntu ……. “ A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished.” Desmond Tutu