After three or four years in teaching, you’ll have a well-established repertoire of practice and resources. What seemed challenging a couple of years ago is now routine, and you may be hungry for something more demanding. You’ll probably want to widen your skillset - and earn more money.
The career ladder is not obvious, and you are in competition with many others of similar experience. It’s an uphill struggle when there seems to be such a yawning gap between where you are now and leading a department - or at least leading a key stage.
Tips for teachers who want to step up into curriculum leadership
So how can you stand out from the crowd when it comes to curriculum leadership?
1. Volunteer to participate in working parties
Most schools run working parties to investigate a variety of cross-curricular themes such as decolonising the curriculum or improving critical thinking. These are usually internally advertised, and be sure to volunteer. You’ll gain a more holistic understanding of the organisation and issues that might beset you as a future leader.
You can learn a lot from collaborating with people who you don’t usually work with. If you find the experience enriching and intrinsically satisfying then you are on the right track.
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2. Join outside networks
Find your own subject association or joining EduTwitter can point you in the right direction for groups such as Team English. Nothing stays still in education so the more you know about other teachers’ experience, the better you can prepare your own colleagues. Build a network of people who can advise you, and maybe even point you towards an upcoming role.
3. Get your ideas out there
Online publications and subject networks want to hear different perspectives: the chances of being heard - even published - have never been greater. Subject association journals often ask for submissions, and a piece could put you on the map as other like-minded professionals join the discussion you instigated. Your own school will often be delighted to acknowledge you in its marketing, thus increasing your public profile.
4. Offer to lead workshops in your school or subject network
After a while, you will know who to approach, and the subject networks may even approach you. In school, leaders are often looking for good speakers from within the ranks. It’s a win-win situation, nerve-wracking though it may be. You improve your presentation skills with an audience of your peers and road-test your theories before applying them elsewhere. It’s a good way of extending your network over time, so that when you set up your own events you’ll have subject experts available to act as key speakers. It’s a great way to demonstrate that you are not inward-looking and it helps to spread good practice.
5. Become an examiner
The main exam boards are always recruiting, and you can learn so much from other great examiners. Enhanced understanding of assessment gives you greater authority when the department is marking across year groups - invaluable during teacher-assessed grades (TAGs). Being a standard-setter is one of the most important roles of the head of subject. However, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and the pay is uncompetitive. You should plan your three weeks’ work carefully to pace yourself and meet ongoing targets: probably two to three hours a day and 10 over the weekend.
6. Become a mentor
Curriculum leaders are people managers. The new Early Careers Framework offers the opportunity to become a mentor. The training is free and you should get time in school for mentoring. As you develop your mentee, you reflect on your own practice. Checking your beginning teacher’s marking and planning and observing lessons is excellent groundwork for the monitoring role at departmental level.
7. Be well-organised yourself
It seems almost unnecessary to say this, but if you regularly miss deadlines and disregard procedures, you may have disadvantaged yourself from the outset. Dependability is a key requisite for a future leader.
Self-directed development rarely has extra pay attached. Opinion is divided on whether teachers, who already work incredibly long hours, should offer yet more time. But if you decide to speculate (your time) to accumulate (a promoted post), your career portfolio will prepare you not only for the interview but also the much harder work of being a subject leader.
Yvonne Williams is a head of English and drama in a school in the south of England.
