MOVING FORWARDS Day 4 Readiness

1. MOVING FORWARDSDay 4Readiness Recruitment and selection Articulation and distinctiveness NPQH input Evaluation

2. Introduction Welcome Liturgy Introduction

3. Programme

4. Welcome and introductions • Facilitators • Your name • Your current role • Your school • Your LA • Your Diocese if relevant Liturgy

5. Domestic arrangements • Coffee • Lunch • Tea • Toilets • Evacuate the building … • Attention to time frames

6. Expectations • Trust • Respect • Confidentiality • Listening • Giving equal time and space to others • Phones off please • Anything to add?

7. Programme • Facilitator introduction • File • Programme for the day • Reflective Journal • Emphasis on reflection to guide learning • Learning points • What will you say or do differently? • How will you make sure change happens?

8. Developing outstanding leaders “Importance of leaders balancing personal and professional growth and being open to a wide range of learning experiences and also being able to learn from a wide range of experiences. Helps us understand the implications of one of the elements not being fully developed – the other factors are seriously compromised, with significant implications for leadership effectiveness and personal and professional sustainability.” Developing Outstanding Leaders John West-Burnham 2009 p.12 Effective learning Symbiotic relationship between personal growth, professional growth and effective learning “Every leader a learner” NCSL “Leadership as an expression of human qualities and the pivotal relationship between growth and development, and confidence and capability as a learner.” Personal growth Professional growth “The greater the overlap the greater the degree of leadership effectiveness.”

9. Intended Outcomes • Explored and reflected on … • Personal and professional growth • Who you are – as person, leader, potential headteacher • Skills needed to present oneself successfully to evidence the criteria to meet the person specification • Skills of self-review and evaluation • Confidence needed to undertake the process of being interviewed • Learned about … • The purpose and use of materials in application packs et al • Expectation of outcomes and evidence as presented and demonstrated in application forms and written tasks • Developed skills of … • Analysis • Making judgements • Relating to and leading others • Managing self

10. Recruitment and selectionWritten application Preparation Written application

11. Understand the basic process Whole governing body agrees to advertise Fix the salary range Agree to establish a panel Prepare the advertisement Fix dates and venues Determine clerking arrangements Decide information to be sent to applicants Prepare job description Prepare person specification Decide on how to conduct the selection process Carry out short-listing and obtain references Conduct the interviews Governing body endorses panel’s recommendation Confirm offer - get contract signed

12. Why does it help to know? Enables you to understand what underpins the process so you can feel confident about how you operate within the process Enables you to understand the relative importance of aspects and features of the process Clarifies the need for the process to be evidence-based

13. How can you use adverts? Work to the closing date Understand how some adverts are constructed Don’t feel intimidated – for example, ‘walk on water’ versions Take note of what they actually require / request … and deliver Read between the lines what they want / are looking for and evidence it If they suggest visits – make one Remember - in all contact with the school ‘get it right’ from the word go … project professional behaviour, ensure good communication, behave like a leader of a community of faith In table groups look at adverts [for about 5 minutes] What’s the key message to you as an applicants? What do they require or request of applicants? What do they want of applicants? Take group feedback [for about 5 minutes]

14. How can you use further particulars etc? Research, research, research Learn as much as you can about the school Online … website … Ofsted … data … CVA Tease out strengths and weaknesses of provision and outcomes and reflect back to governors what the school appears to do well and what the school needs to do to improve - get to the heart of the key issues for the school Personalise - they want you to be specific about their school and want to know what you will bring to the life of their school community Pre-application go and see the school and ‘get a feel’ for the community, parish, neighbourhood - don’t be too pushy at this stage (judgement-call) Stating the obvious - the application is the hurdle you have to leap or you won’t even get the chance to be appointed

15. How can you use the job description? Use it to inform your thinking and preparation for interview Think about the categories as core business and use these to help frame your thinking about ‘who’ you will be as headteacher, what will be important and ‘how’ you will lead and work with and through others Shaping the Future Leading Learning and Teaching Developing Self and Others Managing the Organisation Securing Accountability Strengthening Community Read the National Standards for Headteachers

16. How can you use the person spec? Use it to enable you to review, evaluate and evidence your knowledge, understanding, experience, skills and professional qualities Don’t use it as a simple checklist for assertion … ‘I have done …’ to create a list of tasks you have done e.g. ‘I organised INSET for assessment for learning’ (So what?) Avoid using the individual criteria to write pure description and narrative about what you have done (So what? What is the evidence of impact?) Avoid communicating that you see headship as doing lists of jobs and therefore you only offer operational management (So what? Strategic?) Avoid being totally focused on the past and what you have done (So what learning have you gained and what does it mean for this school?)

17. How can you use the person spec? Use time to THINK about the following: Who you will be as a head What it means to have a vision What will be important to you What will not be negotiable How you will be an advocate for children How you will work through and with others How you will grow and develop others How you will work with parents, governors, community ,parish What are your strengths and weaknesses What support will you need When you have thought about the answers, you should be in a better position to begin to ARTICULATE Draw on the purposes and characteristics of education in a [Catholic] [Church of England] school and its mission, vision and Gospel values

18. Completing the application form Consider how you can complete it in order to evidence some of the criteria on the person specification Craft it … draft it … edit it … revisit it … improve it … coherent … integrated Consider – reflect on - purpose – aims – values – vision Complete it fully – don’t dismiss any sections as not important – they all help build the picture of you Complete using IT or by hand … but be sure it is well presented Model how you, as a leader, would produce high quality documentation for the school Make sure you provide continuous professional history (Safer recruitment requirement) Get the name of the school right and sign the form where required Keep a copy

19. Completing the application form Talk like a confident leader - stress distinctiveness - communicate the person who could lead this Church school into the future Choose verbs to emphasize the skills and abilities of a successful leader and manager Make direct link between the actions you carried out and the impact … on: pupil learning / staff development / governor involvement / parental partnership / parish engagement Try where appropriate, to articulate what you learned in the process And … how you will apply that learning in a new setting of their school Show you are able to look to the future Focus on impact (on others)/ learning (your own) Communicate you are strategic – don’t list tasks or achievement of awards – communicate visions and plans – making a difference to the lives of children, staff, community

20. An effective written application Never under-estimate the time and energy it takes to make an application – give it due importance and time Starts with core credentials for the job [ sets out why you should be taken seriously] Provides measurable outcomes or external validation of success Matches experience to the school’s specific challenge Has pace, energy and a sense of a person with potential Easy to read, concise and legible Interesting!

21. Letter of application “A concise letter of application showing how you fulfil the person specification, including your educational philosophy and values” [ no more than 2 sides A4 ] Now – update the letter of application you have brought with you in the light of information in this session to meet the request above [for about 10-15 minutes] Then each share with a partner [for about 10-15 minutes]

22. Reflection • Any burning issues? • Quiet time … • Reflective Journal • Complete section “Written Application” Coffee …

23. Recruitment and selectionPresentation Preparation Making a presentation

24. Presentations: Options and points PowerPoint? Flip chart? Cue cards? Decide what materials you need (availability?) Timing is important - ensure completion (watch?) Less is more - decide the key things you want to say - don’t clutter with unnecessary detail - avoid fussiness Ensure there is a match and coherence between the visual presentation and what you actually say Allocate time to each screen or section and use the structure as guide to time management Use visuals as cues to remind you of things you want to say

25. Presenting Set up first – position equipment – watch / clock in view Take your time – take your breath – pause … Think about where you are going to stand Communication – eye-contact – don’t block their view of your PP / chart Think through the ‘introduction’ How are you going to start the presentation? ‘Sound like a head’ Remember to use timing cues Mark the text ‘Look and behave like a head’ Smile

26. Unseen presentation Together in groups of 3 prepare to make a presentation of 10 minutes [for about 15 minutes] “In 12 months time, the governors would like to meet with you and hear your evaluation of your first year as headteacher of our school. … What will you have achieved by that time and how? And, how will we know?” We will invite groups to present …

27. Reflection • Any burning issues? • Quiet time … • Reflective Journal • Complete section “Presentation” Lunch …

28. Recruitment and selectionInterview Preparation Interview

29. Formal interview Think about how you walk into the room Head up … scan the panel … smile … communicate confidence Seat yourself so you can see all the panel (as best you can) Consider in advance, what to do with your hands! And feet. Water … um? Eye contact Try to pitch answers or parts of answers to particular governors Body language At ease but not casual … Smile! Dress………..

30. Answering questions Listen very carefully to the question Answer, showing you understand the focus and framework; then give an example from your experience as an illustration where appropriate; then project forward into the new role to show how you would manage it in that context Useful 3 part answer approach links achievement, learning and capacity to apply learning in your school “I led on … therefore I have learned … and if I were to be appointed I would … because this school needs to …. ” “I have … it was successful because … I learned ….” Be clear and fairly concise; you can always say, “Have I given you enough information?”

31. Range of questions Strategy Vision Governance Curriculum / assessment Teaching and Learning Leadership Management Ethos Performance management Parents, parish, community Scenarios

32. Interview practice In small groups you are going to practice answering questions in a panel interview setting [for about 25 minutes] You will work with a list of questions You will take it in turns to answer a question Then the rest of the group will ‘chip in’ to coach each other in a supportive way The idea is to add value to the answers

33. Interview practice In a whole group setting you are going to practice answering interview questions in a formal interview setting [for about 30 minutes] You will move to sit with the ‘interviewing panel’ And answer 2 questions – one from each of the interviewers The interviewers will comment on your answers Then you will swop over • Body language • Eye contact • Governors appoint you • language • language of faith • inclusiveness of response • Listen! • Clarify where necessary • Length of answer

34. Reflection • Any burning issues? • Quiet time … • Reflective Journal • Complete section “Interview”

35. Reflection • Consider reading the NC publication online: • ‘Go for it – Reasons to be a headteacher’… and ask the following questions: • Would you be interested in interviewing these people? • Do they capture hearts and minds? • Would you follow them? • What might you add to what they say, that would articulate the distinctiveness of the school as a Church school?

36. Evaluation Self Programme

37. Evaluation • Self-evaluation for about 5 minutes • Review your Reflective Journal • Complete Reflective Journal section Evaluation • What learning was most important today? • Why? • What you will do as a result? • In pairs share for about 5 minutes • Evaluation of the programme for about 5 minutes • Complete proforma Tea …

38. National Professional Qualification for Headship Information

39. Thank you for todayAnd your participation in the programme Safe journey home We wish you well