The Challenge of Headship: what lies ahead?

Joanna Hall

Senior HMI, London

21 November 2014

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Courageous

Change

Challenge

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The Challenge - context

Good and nothing less – what we all wantGood and nothing less – what we all want

Free schoolsFree schools

Great Freedom

Great Freedom

MATSMATS

All in equal measure All in equal measure

Maintained schoolsMaintained schoolsAcademies and chainsAcademies and chains

Enormously diversified provision – an increasingly autonomised and atomised system

Safeguarding new territory and higher demands

Safeguarding new territory and higher demands

Great Risk Great Risk Great ChallengeGreat Challenge

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The Challenge - context

Ofsted Annual Report 2012/13:Children and young people in maintained schools and academies in England now have the best chance they have ever had of attending a good school.

Ofsted Annual Report 2012/13:Children and young people in maintained schools and academies in England now have the best chance they have ever had of attending a good school.

The impact of strong leadership to improve schools has enabled a more autonomous system

There are just under 22,000 schools in England, with over 440,000 teachers. Fifty four per cent of secondary schools and 9% of primary schools are now academies. In all, 16% of schools, a growing proportion, have become academies. Of the schools Ofsted inspected in 2012/13, 841 were academies and 7,064 were local authority maintained schools.

There are just under 22,000 schools in England, with over 440,000 teachers. Fifty four per cent of secondary schools and 9% of primary schools are now academies. In all, 16% of schools, a growing proportion, have become academies. Of the schools Ofsted inspected in 2012/13, 841 were academies and 7,064 were local authority maintained schools.

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Challenge 1: Meeting the demands of autonomy

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Challenge 1: Meeting the demands of autonomy

political consensus that authority, power and resources should be given to the people who make the difference YOU and YOUR TEAMS – people in the classrooms, the corridors and the playground.

empowered to lead and challenge in a way that was almost impossible a few decades ago - you are in the driving seat - but you’ve got to deliver higher standards of education to our children and young people.

autonomy and accountability in equal measure

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Challenge 1: Meeting the demands of autonomy

‘The best headteachers, like the best managers from other sectors, have a restless energy for improvement and are intolerant of mediocrity – and that quality sets

them apart from their peers.

…..the distinguishing feature of outstanding leadership is the relentless focus on challenging the status quo and

entrenched attitudes’. (HMCI 2012)

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Challenge 1: Meeting the demands of autonomy

Courageous heads combine vision with pragmatism

Can you deliver the vision and work autonomously? - There is no room in education for visionaries or idealists who cannot deliver.

Is vision without action an hallucination?

Headship remains absolutely key in raising standards at all levels and ensuring the safety and well being of students.

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Challenge 1: Meeting the demands of autonomy

On inspection we will be also looking at how your work as leaders permeates beyond your school.

Great heads are becoming great system leaders, driving improvement across multiple schools, autonomy in your own schools and leading improvements across schools.

Page 44 of the School Inspection Handbook:

how effectively the school works in partnership with other schools, early years providers, external agencies and the community (including business) to improve the school, extend the curriculum and increase the range and quality of learning opportunities for pupils

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Ofsted School Inspection Handbook, September 2014, pages 40-51. Leadership and management.

September 2014:

Continued focus upon judging leaders:Modelling of high expectations and pursuing excellenceMonitoring and evaluation activities Leadership of teaching Use of assessment Use of performance managementCarrying out statutory duties

What is new and has greater focus? An evaluation of:The curriculum – broad and balanced and promoting fundamental British valuesSMSC The impact of middle leadersCareers guidance for Years 8-13Increased focus upon safeguarding

September 2014:

Continued focus upon judging leaders:Modelling of high expectations and pursuing excellenceMonitoring and evaluation activities Leadership of teaching Use of assessment Use of performance managementCarrying out statutory duties

What is new and has greater focus? An evaluation of:The curriculum – broad and balanced and promoting fundamental British valuesSMSC The impact of middle leadersCareers guidance for Years 8-13Increased focus upon safeguarding

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Leadership and management

Inspectors should consider how well leaders and managers ensure that the curriculum:

is broad and balanced, complies with legislation and provides a wide range of subjects, preparing pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life in modern Britain;

actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

A golden thread – Curriculum, SMSC, behaviour, safeguarding - read across the framework and the guidance for safeguarding

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Ofsted School Inspection Handbook, September 2014, pages 40-51. Leadership and management.

For grade 2 an aspect is:

The school’s curriculum encourages a thirst for knowledge and understanding and a love of learning. It covers a range of subjects and provides opportunities for academic, technical and sporting excellence. It contributes well to pupils’ academic achievement, their physical well-being and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It promotes good behaviour and a good understanding of safety matters.

For grade 2 an aspect is:

The school’s curriculum encourages a thirst for knowledge and understanding and a love of learning. It covers a range of subjects and provides opportunities for academic, technical and sporting excellence. It contributes well to pupils’ academic achievement, their physical well-being and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It promotes good behaviour and a good understanding of safety matters.

Challenge 2: Safeguardingnew territory and higher demands

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The spotlight

Daniel Pelka 2013

Megan Stammers and Jeremy Forrest 2012

William Vahey 2014

Rotherham, 2013/14

Trojan Horse and Birmingham 2014

Timothy Arthur 2014

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The Spotlight

19 November 2014

Ofsted report - a thematic inspection was commissioned to evaluate the effectiveness of local

authorities’ current response to child sexual exploitation

The sexual exploitation of children: it couldn't happen here, could it?

But it did.

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Challenge 2: Safeguarding

Debbie Jones Regional Director London, 19 November 2014:

‘It is not enough to simply wait for the next scandal to happen. We are calling on all local authorities and

their partners to ensure that they have a comprehensive multi – agency strategy and action plan in place to tackle child sexual exploitation’.

Several young people told inspectors that they thought awareness-raising should start sooner.

‘No-one said anything about it until I went to secondary school; I never heard anything about child sexual exploitation when I was eight or nine.’ Student A

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Challenge 2: Safeguarding and inspection

Some sections have been strengthened or amended in the School inspection handbook – why?

We have revised the safeguarding briefing; this is now the only separate guidance document.

Leaders and governors must be conversant with

DfE ‘Keeping children safe in education’, 2014 DfE ‘Keeping children safe in education:

information for all school and college staff’, 2014 ‘Working together to safeguard children’, 2013.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education

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Challenge 2: Safeguarding, some questions to consider?

As leaders in remodelling and planning new curricula, how well are these key aspects covered in your schools:

bullying, including cyberbullying (by text message, on social networking sites, and so on) and prejudice-based bullying

racist, disability, and homophobic or transphobic abuse

radicalisation and extremist behaviour

child sexual exploitation

sexting

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Challenge 2: Safeguarding, questions to consider?

substance misuse

self harming

issues that may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence

particular issues affecting children including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

As well as covering these aspects in the curriculum, how well are you working with parents, carers, LA, local support agencies, the local community, the police to tackle these issues?

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Challenge 2: Safeguarding, staff training

Are there effective arrangements for staff development and training for all aspects of safeguarding?

Do all staff have a copy of and understand the written procedures for managing allegations of harm? Do they know how to make a complaint and how to manage whistleblowing or other concerns about the practice of adults in respect of the safety and protection of children?

Are staff confident? Are their antenna tuned to things which may raise concern?

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Challenge 2: Safeguarding

As leaders consider how can you be:

Courageous in tackling the range of safeguarding matters that we all have to face?

Challenging of misconceptions, of a culture of it ‘doesn't happen here’, of not responding quickly enough when pieces of evidence begin to raise concerns?

Change how the system works so that staff, children, parents and carers, the police, local authority have the information they need to tackle concerns quickly?

Challenge 3: Teaching and assessment without levels

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Ofsted School Inspection Handbook, September 2014, page 15/16.

Lesson observations – (visits to lessons/observing teaching)

The key objectives of lesson observations are to inform the evaluation of the overall quality of teaching over time and its contribution to learning and achievement, and to assess the behaviour and safety of pupils and the impact of leadership and management in the classroom. When inspectors carry out observations in lessons, they should not grade the quality of teaching for that individual session or indeed the overall quality of the lesson.

Where there is sufficient evidence, inspectors will grade the other key judgements: achievement; behaviour and safety; and leadership and management. For short observations, inspectors might not award grades.

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Ofsted School Inspection Handbook, September 2014, page 16.

Inspectors must not advocate a particular method of planning, teaching or assessment.

They will not look for a preferred methodology but must record aspects of teaching and learning that they consider are effective, and identify ways in which teaching and learning can be improved

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Challenge 3: Teaching – managing performance

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Challenge 3: Activity

As leaders and governors how do you capture the evidence you need to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching over time in your school?

How strategic are you in deciding what information you want to collect from monitoring activities?

How closely aligned is your monitoring to priorities in your school action plan?

How can governors test the accuracy of the information from all leaders about the quality of teaching?

As leaders and governors how do you capture the evidence you need to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching over time in your school?

How strategic are you in deciding what information you want to collect from monitoring activities?

How closely aligned is your monitoring to priorities in your school action plan?

How can governors test the accuracy of the information from all leaders about the quality of teaching?

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Instead of grading lessons, inspectors are looking for particular ways of marking.

They just add the lesson grades together

They are only really bothered about mathematics and English

We can’t be an outstanding school because we’ve got a few good teachers who are not outstanding yet.

Inspectors want us overnight to re present our data in a different format for them

Challenge 3: Some Ofsted myths

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Challenge 3: Messages from HMCI and the School Inspection Handbook

The quality of teaching is inextricably linked to the quality of leadership

It is impossible to divorce the quality of teaching from the culture of the school – and the culture – more than anything else – is determined by its leadership – by you

There is no single or preferred way of teaching. What matters is how well pupils learn

As leaders you have the freedom - and the responsibility that comes with it - to make decisions about what works best

It is about teaching over time, the results it produces for students who should be attentive and engaged, who behave and do well.

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‘Stuck’ RI schools lack the capability to

resolve some key weaknesses:

Nineteen RI schools that stayed at RI, still with G3 for leadership: how successfully they resolved previous areas for improvement at re-inspection.

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Challenge 3: Assessment without levels: Ofsted’s approach to inspection

The way in which a school assesses how well pupils are achieving is a matter for the headteacher, staff and governors.

Ofsted will not be producing or endorsing any particular approach to assessment.

The basic premise of assessment is to find out how well pupils are learning and to make sure this information is properly shared and used effectively.

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Assessment without levels: some general principles

Inspectors will evaluate how well headteachers ensure that assessment information is used:

to track pupils’ attainment and progress

to identify underachievement

as a key part of discussions with teachers about their performance management

to keep governors informed about pupils’ achievement and the impact of teaching.

Challenge 4: Developing Governance

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Challenge 4: Key messages

At the NGA conference in June 2012, HMCI stated:

‘Strong governance is increasingly transforming schools and building effective partnerships.

The role of governors is fundamental and they should never forget that. Without strong and

effective governance, our schools simply won’t be as good as they can be.’

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Challenge 4: Common issues with governance noted in inspection reports

Issues identified in inspection reports included:

not ambitious about expectations

lack of a critical friend approach

over-reliance on information from the headteacher

lack of systematic visits to school

lack of engagement with school development planning

limited role in monitoring, and none of it ‘independent’

limited understanding of data and school quality.

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Key messages: An external review of governance

Ofsted School Inspection Handbook, page 36

It is for the school to decide how this review will take place, and to commission and pay for it. Such reviews aim to be developmental and do not represent a further inspection. Full details on what might be the form and nature of such reviews can be found on the following link: www.gov.uk/reviews-of-school-governance.

PACE AND IMPACT PACE AND IMPACT

Ofsted School Inspection Handbook, page 36

It is for the school to decide how this review will take place, and to commission and pay for it. Such reviews aim to be developmental and do not represent a further inspection. Full details on what might be the form and nature of such reviews can be found on the following link: www.gov.uk/reviews-of-school-governance.

PACE AND IMPACT PACE AND IMPACT

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Challenge 4 : An external review

What are you seeking to find out from an external review?

Have you given the reviewer a brief – do you need to?

From the findings of the external review what are you going to do next at pace?

How well are governors planning their development into the school improvement plan?

What support do you need and from where?

How can governors reflect on the impact of their work and document this as proven impact from the review?

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Challenge 4: Activity - governors knowledge and skills?

Do all governors know what knowledge and skills they need to strengthen?

To what extent is developing better governance tackled in your action plan?

Do governors regularly monitor the action plan?

Do all governors know what impact their decisions have, or how good the school is in key areas? For example, do you know how good the school is in maths, phonics or PE?

Are governors meeting their statutory duties and are they up to date with key messages in the School Inspection Handbook?

What skill set do you need for potential new governors? Do you state this on your school website?

The Future of Education Inspection (FOEI) – what lies ahead?

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The consultation and looking ahead to 1st September 2015

9th Oct 2014 - HMCI launched our consultation to make radical changes to inspection from September 2015

HMCI stated:

Most schools and colleges have been improving over the past couple of years at a faster rate than ever before.

This is hugely encouraging and testament to the commitment of leaders and teachers to deliver a higher standard of education for our children and young people. They have responded to Ofsted’s more challenging inspection frameworks, in particular the introduction of the Requires Improvement judgement and our insistence that only good is good enough. This has been central to driving improvement.

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The consultation and looking ahead to 1st September 2015

HMCI stated:

The time has come, therefore, to introduce frequent but shorter inspections for good schools and further education and skills providers.

These inspections will be different to what has gone before. They will have a much clearer focus on ensuring that good standards have been maintained.

They also mean that we can spot signs of decline early and take immediate action. If we find significant concerns then we will carry out a full inspection. Where we think the school or provider may have improved to outstanding, we may also decide to carry out a full inspection to confirm this.

30 pilots conducted this term.

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Introduction of a new common inspection framework, which will standardise the approach to Ofsted education inspections

The consultation sets out proposals for four categories of judgements:

Leadership and management

Teaching, learning and assessment

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Outcomes for children and learners

New grade descriptors for a common inspection framework (CIF):

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We need your views.

The consultation closes on December 5th

The consultation is online at:

http://ofsted.gov.uk/resources/better-inspection-for-all-consultation-proposals-for-new-framework-for-inspection-of-schools-further

Our Consultation

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Significant changes in how we as a community of educators tackle the issues that come into our schools

which might destabilise the really excellent leadership and teaching we trained to provide.

It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about ( Henry Thoreau)

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. (Theodore Roosevelt)

Experience is the comb that nature gave us after we are bald (Belgian Proverb)

To Conclude The Challenge of Headship: what lies

ahead?

Thank you

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Safeguarding

Guidance published:

http://ofsted.gov.uk/resources/inspecting-safeguarding-maintained-schools-and-academies-briefing-for-section-5-inspections

Released on 19 Nov 2014:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/sexual-exploitation-of-children-it-couldnt-happen-here-could-it

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Safeguarding

Some links which may be useful to have

Teacher misconduct: the prohibition of teachers (DfE)www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-misconduct-the-prohibition-of-teachers--3

Supporting pupils at schools with medical conditions (DfE)www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions

Health and safety: advice on legal duties and powers (DfE)www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-advice-for-schools

Addressing youth violence and gangs (Home Office)www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-schools-and-colleges-on-gangs-and-youth-violence

Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from care (DfE)www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care

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Parent View toolkit for schools, Ofsted, 2013; www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/120371.

Pupil premium. Analysis and challenge tools for schools, Ofsted, 2013;www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130045.

Twelve outstanding special schools, Ofsted, 2009; www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/090171.

The most able students: are they doing as well as they should in our non-selective secondary schools, Ofsted, 2013; www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130118.

Unseen children: access and achievement 20 years on, Ofsted, 2013; www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130155.

Further reading