The national standards of excellence for headteachers have enjoyed a 2015 revamp. In an ever-changing education system, an independent review, of which I was vice-chair, updated the previous edition from 2005 to bring them up to date with current challenges.
The standards aren’t prescriptive – they’re a guide to what best practice looks like for school leaders, whether that’s headteachers, principals or executives. They should be interpreted in the context of an individual and their school, and should help headteachers take the lead with their own professional development, inform governors about appraisals and assist those designing and leading training programmes for senior and aspiring leaders.
Here’s an overview of the new guidance and what it means for school leaders:
The purpose
The national standards have been designed to:
• Inspire public confidence in headteachers.
• Raise aspirations.
• Secure high academic standards in the nation’s schools.
• Empower the teaching profession.
Why they’re important
In any survey of which professions are most trusted by the public, headteachers regularly appear at the top, alongside judges, doctors and scientists. This is nothing new, but at a time when professions are under increased scrutiny, the standards are a timely reminder and reaffirmation of the vital role school leaders play.
Schools also tend to be conservative; in truth, apart from class sizes and a sprinkling of information technology, the essence of a classroom 40 years ago is little different from today. What is palpably different, however, is the increased complexity of leadership. Schools no longer simply teach French, science or geography; they occupy a pivotal role in society, passing on cultural traditions and common mores alongside preparing new generations for their lives ahead.
Headteachers lead this purpose, setting standards and expectations within and beyond their own institutions. This requires a tremendous breadth of knowledge and range of skills, not to mention highly developed interpersonal skills.
The four domains
There are 24 characteristics expected of an excellent school leader. These are split into four domains:
• Qualities and knowledge. There is the expectation that headteachers should lead by example “with integrity, creativity, resilience and clarity”. In the modern era where change is a constant, raising aspirations in what young people can achieve is demanded by parents, politicians and media pundits.
Schools and their leaders are under the microscope of published examination results to produce year-on-year improvements and provide the many extras that make a child’s education. The moral purpose and determination of headteachers are needed more than ever, not to be swayed by passing fashions, but to lead schools relentlessly in the best interests of the pupils they serve, valuing both academic achievement and personal growth.
• Pupils and staff. Headteachers must get the best out of students and staff, with a key ambition to secure educational excellence in all the nation’s schools. In a rich society there are concerns that wealth and opportunity are unevenly spread. Schools can make a tangible difference in closing achievement gaps, but only with inspired teaching and an innovative curriculum, which headteachers must lead.
They can do this through ensuring that best practice in the classroom is shared within and between schools, drawing on and conducting relevant research and robust data analysis. In addition, heads are expected to identify emerging talents in the workforce and coach existing and aspiring leaders to ensure wise succession planning.
• Systems and process. The third domain focuses on the vital components of organisational wellbeing. No factory, hospital, department store or school can be at its best unless underpinned by “rigorous, fair and transparent” systems, effective financial planning and governance.
We know so much today about the cocktail of highly effective schools. It’s a virtuous combination of well-qualified, skilled teachers motivated by clear, fair-minded and knowledgable leadership, collectively focused on students’ wellbeing and all-round achievements. Headteachers should aspire to set the climate in their schools to realise this virtuous combination, ensuring that the school’s systems, organisation and processes are well considered and fit for purpose, as well as transparent and fair.
• The self-improving school system. The final domain is all about how to create schools that look towards colleagues and other organisations, such as public services, to support, challenge and improve the education system as a whole. The idea is that schools should look beyond their four walls to model and test innovative approaches to school improvement.
Schools, even in rural villages, are not islands – students and staff benefit from focused opportunities to share best practice. Equally important is the involvement in schools of other professionals, such as occupational therapists, often in the best interests of students’ mental health and safety.
Roy Blatchford is director of the National Education Trust. He was vice-chair of the independent review that set the new headteacher standards for the Department for Education. He has also written A Practical Guide: National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers, published by John Catt Educational.
