Tory ministers, Ofsted, academisation, parents: I wonder why anyone would want to be a head in 2016...

... and yet somehow we must create a positive vision for education out of all this adversity, writes one celebrated school leader
6th April 2016, 3:15pm

Share

Tory ministers, Ofsted, academisation, parents: I wonder why anyone would want to be a head in 2016...

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/tory-ministers-ofsted-academisation-parents-i-wonder-why-anyone-would-want-be-head-2016
Thumbnail

As we approach the main recruitment period in the school calendar, and the crisis in the supply of school leaders bites deep, I find myself pondering what it takes to be a successful head in 2016.

I’ve even found myself asking who would want to take on a school in the current climate.

There is a word bandied about by all governing bodies the length and breadth of the country, and that is “vision”. Applicant leaders are nearly always asked to outline a vision for the school.

To be fair, this obsession with “vision” has been around for at least the last 30-odd years. However, has there ever been a more difficult time to imagine and develop an inspiring educational plan?

Put simply, there are way too many external forces battling to control our beloved profession (not least of all the government’s “vision” that all schools become academies).

We all hear endlessly the ministerial mantra of solving workload issues - and allowing teachers to have a work-life balance - but this hasn’t happened and we are no nearer finding the time to allow educationalists to actually run education.

Instead we ask our leaders to steer their own course when all around are people trying to alter their direction. Parents, of course, have one direction, as do the governors, plus the local authority (though not for much longer if the government gets its way), the academy chains, Ofsted and regional schools commissioners.

‘Conflicting demands’

All these bodies have conflicting ideas and opinions and a leader in 2016 needs to manage their conflicting demands into a coherent package that will actually satisfy them all - while, more importantly, moving the school forward for the benefit of the children.

To achieve this, the leader needs a certain groups of skills. The ability to juggle balls, and to second-guess what is going to happen next, allied to excellent communication skills, a secure knowledge of education and a sense of humour.

But I have seen so many great - and I mean GREAT - potential leaders who do not have the confidence necessary to take them on to the next step. They decide that they love it in front of a class and don’t really want the rest...

Well this is certainly a time we need them to step up and become great leaders; we need them to recognise they can change things for the better. They must stand up and lead our schools, not for money or the academy chains or even because they love the government.

No, we need them to do it because we have hundreds of thousands of pupils who need them.

It is hard. We must endeavour to create a vision of strength out of the adversity we face, a vision of a positive education system.

Colin Harris is headteacher of Warren Park Primary School in Havant, Hampshire 

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES on Twitter and like TES on Facebook

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared