Distributed leadership: Distributed leadership: Involving the whole Involving the whole

pedagogical community in pedagogical community in the administration and the administration and

management of schoolsmanagement of schoolsJerry BartlettJerry Bartlett

Deputy General SecretaryDeputy General Secretary

NASUWTNASUWT

Modern School LeadershipModern School Leadership

This presentation will:This presentation will: Set out two different models of pedagogical Set out two different models of pedagogical

leadership in schoolsleadership in schools Explore the implications of these models using Explore the implications of these models using

the context of the experience in England over the context of the experience in England over the past two decadesthe past two decades

Set out models for the future – ‘distributed Set out models for the future – ‘distributed leadership’leadership’

Invite comparisons with systems in other Invite comparisons with systems in other countriescountries

School Leaders: Lead Practitioners School Leaders: Lead Practitioners or Chief Executives?or Chief Executives?

School leadership requires the demonstration of a School leadership requires the demonstration of a complex and wide-ranging set of skills, complex and wide-ranging set of skills, knowledge and experiencesknowledge and experiences

Attributes of effective leadership can vary Attributes of effective leadership can vary according to different contextual aspects according to different contextual aspects including:including:

- school size- school size- models of leadership - models of leadership organisation organisation

established within particular established within particular education education systemssystems

- cultural and social expectations- cultural and social expectations

School Leaders: Lead Practitioners School Leaders: Lead Practitioners or Chief Executives cont.?or Chief Executives cont.?

However, can conceive of models of However, can conceive of models of school leadership as a continuum with school leadership as a continuum with ‘chief executive’ model at one end and ‘chief executive’ model at one end and lead practitioner at the other.lead practitioner at the other.

Inevitably, school leadership will involve Inevitably, school leadership will involve elements of both conceptualisations elements of both conceptualisations depending on circumstances but depending on circumstances but distinction between the two models is distinction between the two models is useful for analysisuseful for analysis

School Leaders: Lead Practitioners School Leaders: Lead Practitioners or Chief Executives cont.?or Chief Executives cont.?

Chief Executive model – key features Chief Executive model – key features include:include:

- hierarchical organisational structure- hierarchical organisational structure- activities focused on creation of - activities focused on creation of

systems and structuressystems and structures- emphasis on managerial discretion- emphasis on managerial discretionrather than participative decision rather than participative decision making making - detachment from ‘front-line’ activity- detachment from ‘front-line’ activity

School Leaders: Lead Practitioners School Leaders: Lead Practitioners or Chief Executives cont.?or Chief Executives cont.?

Lead practitioner model – key features include:Lead practitioner model – key features include:

- relatively flat organisational structure- relatively flat organisational structure

- activity more focused on practice and - activity more focused on practice and pedagogypedagogy

- strong emphasis on professional - strong emphasis on professional ‘team’ ‘team’ decision makingdecision making

- frequent engagement in teaching and - frequent engagement in teaching and learning activitieslearning activities

The rise of managerialism and the The rise of managerialism and the chief executive model in the school chief executive model in the school

system in Englandsystem in England Broader policy context very important to Broader policy context very important to

concept of school leadership in England concept of school leadership in England from late 1980s/early 1990sfrom late 1980s/early 1990s

Schools faced tough new accountability Schools faced tough new accountability regime, chiefly:regime, chiefly:

- punitive school inspection regime- punitive school inspection regime- publication of tables of school - publication of tables of school performanceperformance

School leaders’ personal School leaders’ personal accountabilityaccountability

Part of drive to raise standards involved Part of drive to raise standards involved increasing competition between individual increasing competition between individual schools and making school leaders schools and making school leaders personally responsible for school personally responsible for school performanceperformance

Accompanied by more decision making at Accompanied by more decision making at school-level over budgets and personnel school-level over budgets and personnel issues – school leaders held accountable issues – school leaders held accountable for the way in which these were usedfor the way in which these were used

School leaders’ role changesSchool leaders’ role changes

Powerful pressures on school leaders to enforce Powerful pressures on school leaders to enforce government diktat in schools – principally, government diktat in schools – principally, needed to ensure classroom compliance with needed to ensure classroom compliance with governmental expectationsgovernmental expectations

Became front-line enforcers of a ‘culture of Became front-line enforcers of a ‘culture of compliance’ – previous notions of school leaders compliance’ – previous notions of school leaders respecting the independent professionalism of respecting the independent professionalism of teachers was underminedteachers was undermined

Model of leadership promoted took school Model of leadership promoted took school leaders further away from professional practice – leaders further away from professional practice – more about supervision and control.more about supervision and control.

Impact of these trends on school Impact of these trends on school leadersleaders

For many school leaders, these changes For many school leaders, these changes were highly unwelcomewere highly unwelcome

Most had entered into school leadership Most had entered into school leadership with more of a ‘lead practitioner’ with more of a ‘lead practitioner’ conceptualisation of their role – pressure conceptualisation of their role – pressure to become ‘chief executives’to become ‘chief executives’

Many uncomfortable with apparent Many uncomfortable with apparent distance the developed between distance the developed between themselves and teachersthemselves and teachers

Impact of these trends on teachersImpact of these trends on teachers

Restrictions on professional autonomy and Restrictions on professional autonomy and discretion – approaches to teaching and learning discretion – approaches to teaching and learning imposed and monitored from aboveimposed and monitored from above

Decline in professional dialogue and exchangeDecline in professional dialogue and exchange Performance managed by school leaders with Performance managed by school leaders with

less recent experience of classroom practice.less recent experience of classroom practice. Extent to which this occurred varied between Extent to which this occurred varied between

schools but NASUWT members reported this as schools but NASUWT members reported this as an increasing trendan increasing trend

Changing attitudesChanging attitudes Growing realisation that the relationship between Growing realisation that the relationship between

schools and local and national government was schools and local and national government was impacting on relationships within school as wellimpacting on relationships within school as well

In terms of teacher autonomy, Government In terms of teacher autonomy, Government expresses awareness that teachers need to be expresses awareness that teachers need to be given more scope to make appropriate use of given more scope to make appropriate use of their professional skills and expertisetheir professional skills and expertise

But depends critically on model of leadership But depends critically on model of leadership adopted – reduced Government prescription adopted – reduced Government prescription must be accompanied by new ways of managing must be accompanied by new ways of managing teachersteachers

Ways forward – distributed Ways forward – distributed leadership?leadership?

Key point is that management and leadership Key point is that management and leadership structures within schools should work to support structures within schools should work to support the use by teachers of their expertise in all areas the use by teachers of their expertise in all areas of their professional activityof their professional activity

School leadership should act to support the School leadership should act to support the development of the skills and talents of school development of the skills and talents of school teachersteachers

Critically, the management of teacher Critically, the management of teacher performance can only be undertaken performance can only be undertaken meaningfully by school leaders still in touch with meaningfully by school leaders still in touch with the reality of life in the classroom.the reality of life in the classroom.

Ways forward – distributed Ways forward – distributed leadership?leadership?

What vision of distributed leadership?What vision of distributed leadership? Positive – decision making becomes less Positive – decision making becomes less

stratified and more democratic at school-level – stratified and more democratic at school-level – all staff, whether teaching or non-teaching feel all staff, whether teaching or non-teaching feel they have a much greater voice in the way their they have a much greater voice in the way their school is runschool is run

Negative – distributed leadership seen as a Negative – distributed leadership seen as a school leader passing responsibilities down to a school leader passing responsibilities down to a small management team rather than more small management team rather than more broadly to staff as a whole – managerialism broadly to staff as a whole – managerialism persists in a different guisepersists in a different guise

Questions based on your Questions based on your experienceexperience

To what extent does the experience of the To what extent does the experience of the change in leadership style reflect development in change in leadership style reflect development in your country?your country?

To what extent to classroom teachers in your To what extent to classroom teachers in your country feel they have a legitimate stake in the country feel they have a legitimate stake in the running of their schoolsrunning of their schools

What policies are promoted in your country to What policies are promoted in your country to enhance the ways in which schools are led? enhance the ways in which schools are led? How successful do you think these will be?How successful do you think these will be?