A good headteacher needs to be many things. An inspirational leader, an effective manager, a strategic thinker. They also need to be able to identify and adapt to the needs of the community, and they must have a clear vision for their school and its curriculum.
Every school is different. But by creating the conditions for an inspirational and purposeful curriculum, a school leader encourages professional collaboration between staff, creating the kind of positive impact on learners’ experiences that equips them for life, engages the community and allows all to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the 21st century.
Jodie Hannan, headteacher of Drummond Community High School in Edinburgh, saw considerable differences after changing her school’s curriculum.
“Drummond is a true comprehensive, with pupils from a range of backgrounds,” she explains. “We are one of four Edinburgh secondaries to mainstream young people with mild to moderate learning needs. We are constantly evaluating what we do and discussing how we can improve our curriculum to offer all our young people a school experience that is as meaningful and enriching as possible.
“As a headteacher, you really are in the position to make a difference, so it’s important to allow staff creativity in the curriculum and to try new things.
“We’re determined that being one of Edinburgh’s smaller schools doesn’t stand in the way of opportunity.
“One example of this is our technologies curriculum, which is the Scottish flagship for Design Engineer Construct! (DEC, an accredited learning programme). This course takes a very different, real-life approach to developing Stem knowledge and skills, as well as all the attributes young people need to succeed in the world of work. We have invested significantly in this with great support from the founder
of DEC, local business and higher education institutions.
“The number of positive changes I have made since taking up post and how enthusiastically staff committed to them is very rewarding. I am very fortunate to work with such committed staff here at Drummond who have been on board with these - and it’s a real team effort.”
In order to rise to the challenge of a headteacher position, it’s crucial that teachers aspiring to the role are able to experience professional learning opportunities and appropriate support, in order to give them the confidence to take the step to headship.
The Into Headship qualification, provided by seven universities and fully funded by the Scottish government, is Scotland’s national qualification for headship.
It has been designed in consultation with universities, local authorities and other teaching bodies to equip future headteachers with the leadership skills required for the strategic challenges of the role.
The Standard for Headship is awarded by the General Teaching Council for Scotland on successful completion of the Into Headship qualification. From August 2020, holding the Standard for Headship will be a mandatory requirement for all teachers taking up their first permanent headteacher appointment.
Stephanie Kellie is headteacher of Methven Primary School in Perth,
and she found the Into Headship qualification invaluable.
“I applied to complete the Into Headship qualification because I wanted to develop my leadership capabilities within a course that was specifically targeted to education. Previous leadership development programmes that I had been part of were useful for improving leadership skills and understanding leadership methodologies, but had not been specific to an educational context,” she explains.
“Having the opportunity to engage with academic reading and research and work collaboratively with other aspiring headteachers was invaluable and reignited the spark which had initially led me towards a leadership career path.”
The Into Headship qualification is designed for teachers whose next post will be that of a headteacher, likely within the next two to three years. Teachers should apply via their local authorities, which interview prospective participants for the submission of applications to the programme.
To find out more information about the Into Headship qualification and read about other headteachers’ experiences, visit bit.ly/IntoHeadship
