Educational Leadership in the United Kingdom

National Professional Qualification for Headteachers

This is self explanatory from the title. It has been in operation in Great Britain for about 10 years. In the first instance it was intended that all Headteachers would have this qualification prior to their appointment. In reality, particularly due to recruitment difficulties, many Headteachers are appointed with the qualification incomplete. There is usually a commitment to doing it whilst in post.

For those who were already in post when the qualification was introduced, there were two forms of provision:-

• The Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers (LPSH) focuses on leadership skills and characteristics. This involves considerable personal assessment of the HT’s skills through peer assessment and senior and junior colleagues. It includes self evaluation and two extended residential courses.
• The Headlamp Programme is mainly skills based and caters for the individual needs of the Headteacher. Self evaluation is carried out by the HTs themselves with help from trained specialists. Training is geared to these needs and is conducted at intervals throughout the first year of being in post. There is considerable funding attached to this form of training.

The NPQH is a two year post graduate diploma. It is externally assessed on a continuous basis with final examinations. The candidates are assigned a serving Headteacher mentor who will guide them through the process.

Modules

• Strategic direction and development of schools - IEP / SDP / strategic and developmental planning.
• Teaching and Learning - Curriculum planning, assessment and monitoring and evaluation.
• Leading and managing staff – leadership styles and characteristics, personnel, motivation.
• Efficient and effective deployment of staff and resources – buildings, personnel, recruitment, budget.
• Accountability – self, governors, parents, children, staff

Characteristics of Leaders

• Teamwork and developing others
• Drive and confidence
• Vision and accountability
• Influencing and politics
• Thinking styles (the big picture)
National Standards for Headteachers

There are standards required of all in the teaching profession at the different levels of responsibility, including and especially headteachers. HTs are evaluated during the OFSTED process on these standards.

These are to be found at www.dfes.gov.uk

Shared leadership

There is a considerable move to sharing the leadership role in schools. Leadership teams are common with HTs, DHTs and senior staff. Leadership is often spread across different levels of teachers e.g. Heads of Department and Years. Accountability is important and especially ……..

“Shared leadership needs shared vision”

Emotional Intelligence

Control and awareness of emotions is a big issue in development of leadership skills.

• Self Awareness – recognising own emotions, strengths and weaknesses
• Self Regulation – control of own emotions
• Motivation – meeting goals and continuous self improvement
• Empathy – ability to put oneself in the shoes of others
• Social Skills
• Negative emotions – level of ability to deal with these e.g. isolation and pressure.

Styles of Leadership

• Instructional – focus on the learning of students and improving the effectiveness of teachers in the classroom.
• Transformational – capacity building, formal, continuous improvement.
• Moral – Values, aims, democracy.
• Participative – sharing the decision making and overlaps with democratic leadership.
• Managerial – efficient achievement of goals.
• Contingent – responds well to the demands for change.