- What do we mean by School Leadership?
School leadership is often, understandably, defined as the Headteacher. Whilst this is an incredibly significant role in any school it is not the only leadership role. In fact, the opportunities for leadership are everywhere! Senior leaders, department heads, faculty leads, student councils, prefects, governors and many more all add up to the leadership of a school.
The way all these different areas lead is influenced by the ethos the Headteacher and their senior team create. If a Headteacher has a clear vision that is communicated well and supported by all then the school will thrive and develop.
Invariably when school inspectors visit, they spend a lot of time looking at how leadership permeates across the school and if all the different areas are all striving for the same end goal. This is not an easy task for any Headteacher to oversee and when it is done well, we are met with pupils that thrive and grow into healthy, capable young people ready to take the next step.
- What happens when a school is led well?
Schools and Headteachers have a lot of demands made upon them and whilst exam results are often in the media eye, they are not the sole purpose of a school. The education of a young person includes academic study as well as social education and wellbeing.
A student that leaves school with lots of high grades but is lonely and has not made any strides in being able to socialise will struggle as much as a student who leaves with low grades but lots of friends. It is a very fine line helping students to realise a healthy balance and the army of staff that support students strive to meet the varied expectations every day.
Schools that manage to balance everything are not only led well but also embrace all stakeholders. Parents, grandparents, local businesses and support agencies are just some of the people that help to realise the dreams of the students that attend school.
Headteachers must be able to weigh up the pros and cons of many new innovations and ideas daily, working out what will help their school to succeed. Whilst every school is run with a set of the same rules and guidance, each school you go to is unique and each Headteacher will put their emphasis on different aspects of the guidance given to them by the government.
A school that is led well not only produces students who achieve well but also has a staff that love coming to work and stakeholders that are proud of what is achieved every day.
- Leadership and training
Excellent school leaders aren’t just born that way, they rely on excellent CPD opportunities to develop and refine their style and keep them on top of their game. A leader that refuses to consider new ideas cannot be the visionary students require and so they must understand how important it is for them to keep developing. A headteacher that promotes and involves themselves in new ideas and initiatives leads a school that is open to change and employs new practices to keep their students on top of educational innovation. Was your school led by a headteacher like this?
- Leadership at Phi
Here at Phi our Founder and Director, Dr Stathis Stefanidis encourages a team that is passionate about learning and developing students. We are excited by the prospect of finding new ways to lead and new ways to succeed. Get in touch today to find out more about what we can offer you!
