In great schools, the leadership is visionary, inspiring and values-based.
Leaders effectively communicate and share a compelling view of the school in the future, based on high expectations and high aspirations. Collectively, leaders are strong as planners, organisers, resource managers, tacticians and deliverers. They are committed to delivering a high quality and sustainable education for both current and future cohorts of pupils. They pay attention to detail and get results; they are resilient and determined. They are also energisers, motivators, cheerleaders and enthusiasts. They build and sustain high-quality relationships. They are great nurturers, trainers, mentors and coaches.
Great schools practise invitational and distributed leadership (between staff, governors and pupils), based on the belief that everyone can be a leader and has potential for growth and development through mentoring and coaching. There is an understanding that everyone has a different profile of leadership qualities and the best leaders in one situation may not be the most effective in another. Great leaders deliberately build on the capacity for growth and adaptation to change through careful recruitment and retention, investing in developing the workforce and fostering learning in the workplace. They strive to create and embed aspiration and ambition and to develop creativity, wider learning and supported risk-taking. They develop an optimistic and exciting environment to maximise the additional effort of members of the school community.
Extended and system-wide leadership are widely practised through school-to-school collaboration, the building of networks and quality relationships with outside agencies.
This lens will typically be reflected in:
- School vision/mission statement
- Staff Development Policy/strategy
- Staffing structure and succession plan
- Tracker of staff promotions/progression
- CPD programmes
- Staff performance development targets
- Leadership coaching
- Leadership awards
- Student leader/prefect systems
- Students Leading Learning Policy
- Statutory information on school website – governing board membership
- Governor skills matrix
- School accounts
General documents, policies and procedures in which you might typically see the lenses reflected.
Case studies
Resources
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Summer 2021
Charity Law and Governance - Cecile Gillard and Kirsty Semple, 2018
Leading Academy Trusts – David Carter, 2020
Leave A Light On – Simon Jackson, 2020
Leaders with Substance – Matthew Evans, 2019
Spring 2020
Being the CEO: The Six Dimensions of Organisational Leadership - Michael Pain, 2019
Autumn 2019
Imperfect Leadership: A Book for Leaders Who Know They Don't Know it All - Steve Munby, 2019
Leadership: All You Need to Know - David Pendleton and Adrian Furnham, 2nd edition, 2016
Leadership Matters 3.0: How Leaders At All Levels Can Create Great Schools - Andy Buck, 2018
The Captain Class: The Hidden Force Behind the World's Greatest Teams - Sam Walker, 2017
Why Should Anyone be Led by You? What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader - Robert, Goffee, Gareth Jones, 2006
Student Centred Leadership: (Jossey–Bass Leadership Library in Education) – Viviane Robinson, 2011
The School Leadership Journey: What 40 Years in Education Has Taught Me About Leading Schools in an Ever-Changing Landscape, John Dunford, 2016
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't – Simon Sinek, 2014
High Performers: The Secrets of Successful Schools - Alistair Smith, 2011
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change - Stephen Covey, 2014
Who moved my cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life - Spencer Johnson, 1999
The Fish Rots from the Head, the Crisis in our Boardrooms - Bob Garrett, 1996
Ways in which HFL can provide support
Trust Leaders’ Forum
Leadership reviews - Early Years, primary, secondary
Leadership coaching
Headteacher conferences for primary, special and secondary
Moving To New Headship programme
Leadership Bites for aspiring, new and experienced assistant and deputy headteachers
Deputy Headteacher and Senior Leaders’ programme (primary) and conferences (secondary)
Subject Leader conferences
EEEYP: A one day full evaluation of all areas of Early Years provision and practice
Leading in the Foundation Stage: Two day course (includes free leadership toolkit)
Early Years Leaders Seminars: A forum for reflection, discussion and sharing of effective practice
Support for SLT appointments - Recruitment Services
Advice on leadership structures - HR Services
Support with using 360 tools and Insights Discovery – HR Services
Insights Discovery team development - HR Services
360 of Chair of Governors - Governance Services
Self-evaluation of governance - Governance Services
External review of governance - Governance Services
Clerking service - Governance Services
Please contact us for further information on 01438 544464 or email info@hfleducation.org
The Great School Framework is made up of:
Ambitious, inspirational and strategic leadership (inc. governance)
Shared, aspirational vision, values and culture
A community where all are empowered and valued
An outward looking, collaborative mindset
An ongoing commitment to learn with and from others
Embedded, forensic self-review and reflection
Been designed and resourced for long term exceptional outcomes
An inclusive, settled and safe environment for all
Exceptional teaching, learning and assessment
A rich, broad, balanced and bespoke curriculum
The Great School Framework is the intellectual property of HFL Education and copyrighted. It may not be used unacknowledged by others.