Headship, the best job in the world!

• Context-Central Technology College• All boys, small (approx 400 on roll), huge deficit budget

(400K+), 51% SEN, 27% Ethnic minority, 34% EAL, 26% FSM, 5% LAC predominantly unaccompanied asylum seekers from Afghanistan, main catchment wards in bottom 15% most disadvantaged areas nationally

• 2006• Deputy Head• Jan 2006 Central becomes part of the Ninestiles Federation• 20/2/2006 –Became Acting Head

I was excited by the challenge!

An accidental Headship

• March 06-Ofsted arrive ‘Notice to improve’

_______ __ ____ _ ____ _____ __ ________

Suddenly, it didn’t feel quite so exciting….

There was a lot of this about….

Learning the difference between reactive and strategic

• Saying ‘no’• Default settings and understanding them• Grasping ‘nettles’• The Sigmoid curve• The Balanced Scorecard approach

• ‘No’ to consultants, advisers, new strategies and schemes, initiatives etc etc

• Identifying defaults and being clear about whether they help or hinder. A default is what usually happens and is what people/institutions revert to. Think about what happens in your school when; the electronic register system goes down, a broken chair is left in a corridor, a child is crying, Year 11 leave….

• Grasping ‘nettles’ and having ‘those’ difficult conversations about underperformance. Establishing a culture of accountability not blame.

• The Sigmoid curve! If it ain’t broke yet, it soon will be! Recognising the time for change…..usually sooner than you think!

• A clear, succinct strategic plan for improvement understood and shared by all

The school improvement plan!‘Never mind the content, feel the weight of it!’

Less is more

• The Balanced Scorecard

May 2007

• Ofsted return • Central is graded as ‘Good’

A very different Headship

• You know you’re at Fortismere because;• The parents don’t just read The Guardian, they

write for it too!• We go ‘up’ to the South and ‘down’ to the North• Our Alumnae include such national ‘treasures’

as Rod Stewart and Ray Davies• Students requested vending machines that sold

‘Sushi’ rather than sandwiches!

However the key concepts still apply

• Saying ‘no’ to demands on the school which are not in line with the improvement plan

• Being clear about defaults and tackling the unhelpful ones

• Being clear about expectations, support available and holding people to account

• Making changes before the curve reaches its peak• Keeping the BSC high in the collective

consciousness

Some examples….• BFL• Attendance • Lanyards• Focus days• Change teams• QTL team• Transition project• DFL• Urban myths!• Cashless catering• Visits to schools• Restructuring middle leadership• Vertical tutoring

And the biggest challenge of Headship?

• Leading and managing change