Seven months into my new role, the summer term concluded, I have enjoyed a week away with my family and we now eagerly await exam results. I took the opportunity to step back, pause and take stock. As I try to do each summer, I considered what went well? What I could have been better, differently…? What was the impact of my actions, decision…? Then it was onto, what there is still to achieve and to follow-up? All considered in the context of the Academy’s progress and our challenges, and my own strengths and areas form improvement as a school leader (for there is plenty).
You gotta keep movin’ forward…
Processes and systems are a necessary per-requisite for stability, productivity, and quality assurance with leadership literature typically suggests that organisations’ naturally resist change and innovation. A decent summary for approximately 85% of the leadership books I have read, and yet. Processes and systems, yes, but resistance? It just did not ‘feel‘ that way at The Wellington Academy. In our context, our staff were generally supportive of change (supportive of defined processes and of simplifying systems anyway) although there were times that I felt we had exhausted our staff’s patience and goodwill.
A new MIS and a new timetable mid year are each significant upheavals for all parties, both were accommodated, no software package, numerous role changes, rota and room changes, and still we strode on. From January to August, I wouldn’t position we were innovative; considered maybe, stablising hopefully, and maybe this is why the “processes and systems” we introduced were accommodated. Accommodated as they were largely accepted as a step forward from what was in place (replacing a hugely unreliable Progresso, with a web based, functional iSAMS, and more time for maths and English.) To follow, new data collection expectations and schedules, lesson observation processes and schedules, curriculum area development plans and documents, with a new whole school, Senior Heads of Curriculum and Department meeting schedule for 2014-15.
It could be summarised that the processes and systems centred on two key aspects of school improvement
- ‘knowing what we know about’ – data collection, action, intervention (and communication with parents and carers), and,
- ‘improving the quality of teaching and learning’ – lesson observation cycles, dispersing the leadership of teaching and learning, with support and professional development where needed
With our improvement framework almost finalised, if not at least scheduled, I expect the leadership drive to move away from what Senior Leaders are leading, onto what Middle Leadership are actioning – in response to ‘what we know.’ The senior role redefined, moving towards coaching and away from leading / mentoring with the cultural message being amplified (more middle leaders (and senior leaders) promoting the same message)).
From these past seven months I learnt that I hold a “processes and system” bias. I value the stability that “processes and system” provide, and that I believe that they will ultimately reduce within school variance. That our department focus and quality assurance will improve with a more systematic approach. This past seven months has led me to question that ‘leadership begins with disruption.’ It might just be that the disruption phase may proceed where your leadership efforts start.
Where next
How can we enable our middle leaders to bring about sustained improvement within this framework? In addition to ensuring the “processes and system” are functioning, our middle leadership tier may, conversely, benefit from disruptive leadership. Maybe now is the time to be disruptive (within our context). What might disruptive leaderhip look like here? We are not talking here about “meetings without coffee,” reorganisation and restucturing, we are talking about rippling leadership outward from the senrior, through the middle core and into the school culture?
- Temporarily reassign a Middle Leader, either reassigning them or displacing them (create associative senior positions, redefine the role, remove the role) with the expectation that team members step up or into roles.
- Identify and agree education projects that inspires and challenges Middle Leader; part of the SLPQ and MLPQ programme started this summer.
- Offer roles / remuneration for fixed periods.
- Develop skill gaps in the new, temporary or aspiring Middle Leader.
- Form taskforce groups to investigation teaching practice and report back to the staff – disruption from within the group.
- Reassign line management responsibilities or reassigned line managers
- Always celebrate success.
Now, this list presents a range of possible strategies I have read whilst researching this post. I am not advocating any or all of them, just thinking out loud, considering what strategies might fit the situation.
Our aim is not to grow “bobbing heads” leaders, we are advocating constructive decent and pockets of leadership growth dispersing into the school culture. We want to avoid “groupthink” and consensus for healthy discussion. Are we now ready to innovate?
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