I agree with Mike Kent (TES, January 4) about the need for heads to have highly developed interpersonal skills. But I do not follow the logic that lays the blame for the lack of such skills on the National College for School Leadership. The national professional qualification for headship, like all the college’s programmes, is full of activities that aim to develop people management skills, and I would be very surprised if the revised programme is any different.
More worryingly, Mike’s latest column doesn’t just contain his usual invective aimed at new-fangled ideas such as performance data, but bases prejudice on what is at best anecdotal evidence.
Clive Taylor, Consultant and trainer, Bury.
