The management of change is a frequent topic at education conferences and interviews for senior posts in our schools. How do you manage change when clearly it can be seen as threatening to some people, no matter how experienced or competent they are in their posts?

Schools, by their nature, and by their political guidance, are constantly changing. The pupil population changes; staff come and go and are promoted; and the prevalent conditions in the local community, be they economic, social or political, can have vast impact on the nature of the schools which serve that community. Schools must reflect the needs of their pupils and the world for which they are being prepared.

How these needs are assessed and the manner in which schools are expected to address them is the domain of politicians, acting, at least theoretically, at the behest of the voter, who has the opportunity to change his mind every five years or so.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, teachers had to acclimatise to the removal of corporal punishment and the raising of the school leaving age, the changes from wholly external to partly continuous assessment and a higher amount of personal and collegiate accountability, with its associated paperwork. Society, while seeming to lessen the respect in which it held the teaching profession, made higher demands on it.

These pressures still apply, but the fall-out from the McCrone settlement seems set to produce the most tumultuous change that the current teaching staff have faced.

For the school manager, the question is not so much about the generally accepted benefits of these changes, but how to deliver them while supporting staff whose reactions may range from stubborn refusal to countenance any more to a fear that they cannot achieve what is being asked of them.

Any fair-minded appraisal of education over the past 50 years or so recognises that schools are serving more families and pupils more appropriately than ever before. There is a danger, therefore, that managers, at all levels, from the Scottish Executive down to individual schools, may believe that any change which is self-evidently beneficial will be readily and comfortably accepted by the staff who have to implement it.

Presentation is the key. Managers need to understand that as they present an announcement of change to a staff group, each individual hears only that part of the news that will affect them most directly.

The McCrone negotiations are a case in point. As the profession enters a phase where there seems to be difficulty in agreeing whether it is negotiation or consultation, various groups feel they have reason to be apprehensive about the changes that are proposed. Senior managers and principal teachers face a vague “job-sizing” exercise; assistant principal teachers and senior teachers will “disappear”. The future of guidance seems unsettled to some, and other staff are scratching their heads over the arrangements for chartered teachers. Even those who are not yet appointed to schools are picking up unsettling reactions to the proposal to allocate newly qualified teachers to all our schools.

The challenge for school management teams is to ensure that their staff feel supported and confident enough to embrace change as developmental progress rather than as an implicit criticism of their previous means of operating.

In all spheres of life, fear thrives on ignorance and change is resisted by those with low self-esteem. The vital management tasks of raising self-esteem, keeping staff well informed and listening and reacting to their concerns become more important than ever when change is afoot.

Clearly staff who feel valued and receive regular praise and acknowledgement will be in a stronger position to manage change. This lays increasing reponsibilities on the management team’s shoulders, as praise is only valuable when based on in-depth knowledge of staff’s abilities. Monitoring and assessment of staff’s personal development should be a factor in accumulating the professional knowledge with which to celebrate their achievement. However, appraisal has to be a non-threatening system which shows staff that they are valued and listened to and can lead to improved resources or support where needed.

Senior staff, similarly, need support from their “headquarters” if they are to deliver change in our schools.

The key words at all levels are: information, explanation, consultation, flexibilty and reassurance.

Schools will never get the best out of teachers if they are persistently treated as passengers on a magical mystery tour. Managers lead but must also share. By taking staff into their confidence, managers show that they have confidence in them, and that helps them maintain confidence in themselves.

Sean McPartlin is assistant headteacher at St Margaret’s Academy, Livingston