Comments on: The Cast of Culprits Part 3: The School Leaders http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/ A Blog About Teaching in Tough Schools in the UK Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:34:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ElaineC http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-323 ElaineC Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:43:00 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-323 Brilliant analysis and an excellent set of solutions. I agree with you that Heads have to spend far too much time on bureaucracy and are generally (in secondary schools) losing all idea about what kids are like. I'd go further than you about SMT being required to do supply for one day a year. I think a fortnight would give them far more of an idea of what the average teacher faces day in, day out. Preferably a neighbouring authority and not necessarily in tough schools as they could then blame whatever befalls them on the school rather than taking responsibility upon themselves. Brilliant analysis and an excellent set of solutions.
I agree with you that Heads have to spend far too much time on bureaucracy and are generally (in secondary schools) losing all idea about what kids are like.

I’d go further than you about SMT being required to do supply for one day a year. I think a fortnight would give them far more of an idea of what the average teacher faces day in, day out. Preferably a neighbouring authority and not necessarily in tough schools as they could then blame whatever befalls them on the school rather than taking responsibility upon themselves.

]]> By: darth tater http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-322 darth tater Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:39:42 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-322 The business of league table is an immense problem even for a management team with a sincere desire to do the best for their pupils. It's made even worse by an insistence from OFSTED and LA advisors (some of those ex-HTs?) that an improvement in attainment as measured by league table statistics actually represents an improvement in attainment as measured by kids knowing, understanding and being able to do more. The business of league table is an immense problem even for a management team with a sincere desire to do the best for their pupils. It’s made even worse by an insistence from OFSTED and LA advisors (some of those ex-HTs?) that an improvement in attainment as measured by league table statistics actually represents an improvement in attainment as measured by kids knowing, understanding and being able to do more.

]]> By: Pepperpot http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-321 Pepperpot Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:57:54 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-321 SMT are playing a different game to the one they should be playing. It involves funding, status and spin. It exists to service the league tables, the targets, and the increasingly complex bidding procedures necessary to secure new funding by signing up to a particular speciality. They have been told by the Powers that their school can be evaluated by numbers and they must first service the numbers. If their brief was different, and if their performance was evaluated differently, they would manage differently. And there are some out there who are brilliant enough to lead the way while happily also serving the figures. Anyway, if you want to hear me going on about this at great length, you know where to click. Brilliant blog, BTW. Did you have a snow day? You can guess where the teacher blogs are located on whether they had time to post today! SMT are playing a different game to the one they should be playing. It involves funding, status and spin. It exists to service the league tables, the targets, and the increasingly complex bidding procedures necessary to secure new funding by signing up to a particular speciality. They have been told by the Powers that their school can be evaluated by numbers and they must first service the numbers.

If their brief was different, and if their performance was evaluated differently, they would manage differently. And there are some out there who are brilliant enough to lead the way while happily also serving the figures.

Anyway, if you want to hear me going on about this at great length, you know where to click.

Brilliant blog, BTW. Did you have a snow day? You can guess where the teacher blogs are located on whether they had time to post today!

]]> By: lilyofthefield http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-320 lilyofthefield Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:38:23 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/02/08/the-cast-of-culprits-part-3-the-school-leaders/#comment-320 All true as usual. I should however like to state that even when discipline goes right to the top, if the top is just a glorified financial manager it will make no difference. I believe the role should be split. There should be a figurehead leader whom the staff trust and respect even if they don't necessarily agree with him/her, so preferably a still-occasionally-practising classroom teacher. This person should provide the ethos and the supportive relationship side of things, and the other employee do all the other stuff. There are too many HTs who try to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. It does nothing for trust and confidence. I noticed at Hell High today that one of the admin assistants was busily deleting individual pupils' detention backlogs off the system. One girl had racked up seven detention-worthy offences in ONE DAY but "doesn't do detentions", secure in the knowledge that sooner or later or every half term at least, they will all be vanished away and a "clean slate" provided, courtesy of the HT. All true as usual. I should however like to state that even when discipline goes right to the top, if the top is just a glorified financial manager it will make no difference.

I believe the role should be split. There should be a figurehead leader whom the staff trust and respect even if they don’t necessarily agree with him/her, so preferably a still-occasionally-practising classroom teacher. This person should provide the ethos and the supportive relationship side of things, and the other employee do all the other stuff. There are too many HTs who try to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. It does nothing for trust and confidence.

I noticed at Hell High today that one of the admin assistants was busily deleting individual pupils’ detention backlogs off the system. One girl had racked up seven detention-worthy offences in ONE DAY but “doesn’t do detentions”, secure in the knowledge that sooner or later or every half term at least, they will all be vanished away and a “clean slate” provided, courtesy of the HT.

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