National New Heads 2011: workshops and seminars
Thursday 3 November
Our partner and sponsor-hosted seminars offered delegates the chance to hear about the work partners and sponsors are undertaking in the field of education, and to join a lively and informative discussion of the issues and developments involved.
Professional partners: why every new head should have one
Vicky Parsey, Applecroft School (professional partner) supporting Anne Peck, Offley Endowed Primary School
Martin Green, Driffield School (professional partner) supporting Grahame Hodson, Brewery Grammar School
This seminar gave the opportunity to ask questions about the new head-professional partner relationship. A professional partner is an experienced headteacher who will provide you with coaching and mentoring support during your first two years of headship. This relationship will involve between 20–30 hours of unconditional support over two years, and is a free entitlement to you as a new headteacher.
Serious creativity: defining, inspiring and encouraging creative thinking within teaching and learning
Rachel Ward, Kirklees LA Advanced Skills Teacher: Creativity ‘Thinking, Teaching and Learning’ Moor End Academy
Robert Rawlinson, Chief Executive Officer, Edward De Bono Foundation UK
Jane Acklam, Headteacher, Moor End Academy
The aim of this seminar was to define and develop understanding creativity in the classroom. It explored how the Edward De Bono Foundation UK Thinking Tools have inspired others to be innovative in their thinking, and examined how to develop a climate of creativity and implement this into teaching and learning.
This seminar was sponsored by the Institute of Education at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Health and safety compliance and premises management: maybe not exciting, but one less thing to keep you awake at night
Keith Hutt, primary school chair of governors, former teacher, local authority property officer, BSF director and Ofsted inspector
Whatever inspired you to become a headteacher, it was probably not health and safety, legislation or an opportunity to manage school premises. Little in your training prepares you for this important responsibility, yet it can be extremely daunting with unpleasant consequences if you get it wrong. This seminar looked at PropertyPrefect school premises management software, a system that will remind you and your team of what needs to be done and when, with an audit trail for your reports.
This seminar was sponsored by PropertyPrefect.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Headship: leading learning and teaching to excellence
Helen Todd, Achievement Adviser, EdisonLearning Ltd
Nicky Haslam, Headteacher, Giffards Primary School
The Quality Framework for Learning and Teaching is an innovative way of enabling teachers to improve their own practice whilst understanding how this contributes to school targets for learning and teaching. This seminar provided the overview, rationale, structure and implementation of the quality framework in a continuous programme. Delegates were shown how monitoring and evaluation of learning and teaching links to distributed leadership.
This seminar was sponsored by EdisonLearning Ltd.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Friday 4 November
Breakfast seminar: Working effectively with the governing body
Michael Costello, Chair of Governors
Gary Holden, National Leader of Education and Headteacher, Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School
This seminar looked at ways in which new headteachers can work with their governing bodies to maximise the success of the school. It explored:
- how senior leaders and governors work together at Sir Joseph Williamson’s
- how you can develop your own systems for working together
Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School is a national support school, rated ‘outstanding’ in all categories by Ofsted. The school became an academy on 1 April 2011 and has been selected as one of the first national teaching schools from 1 September.
Governance is a particular strength of the school, and members of the governing body work closely with senior leaders to identify, implement and monitor development priorities.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Breakfast seminar: What do teaching schools mean to me?
Linda Pickwell, Headteacher, Partington Primary School
Andy Shakos, Headteacher, Parrswood High School
Vicky Beer, Headteacher, Ashton-on-Mersey School, Sale
As a new headteacher why should you engage with teaching schools? This seminar explored the new teaching school innovation by helping new heads to appreciate the contribution that teaching schools and their alliances can bring.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Breakfast seminar: Harnessing the potential of school groups
Dan Burke, Director, PwC
This seminar looked at how you can make the most out of working with other headteachers in school groups.
As more and more schools come together to form alliances, federations and chains, ensuring that you can get the most out of the opportunities presented by collaborative arrangements will become increasingly important, as budgetary pressures and reduced support mechanisms start to have an impact.
We discussed how you can achieve the benefits of collaboration, eg shared staffing, contracts and CPD, and also how to overcome any barriers that often prevent effective co-operation. The session included short presentations from a headteacher from a successful school group to provide the context for discussions and networking.
This seminar was sponsored by PwC.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Breakfast seminar: School improvement starts here!
Matt Walker, RM Education
Robin Sutton, independent educational consultant
As a new head, getting to know your pupils is vital, and your school systems already hold a wealth of information about them. Utilising this data can play a key role in aiding any school improvement plan, but with such an abundance of data, how do you know where to focus your energy?
This seminar provided an opportunity to experience RM Intelligence, a new business intelligence dashboard that puts the most important pupil information at your fingertips. It summarised school data with interactive charts, making it easy to interpret complex data at a glance across all key areas of your school.
This seminar was sponsored by RM Education.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Workshops
Our workshops provided practical insights to help you in the important first years of headship. The workshops were led by school leaders who shared their experiences of tackling the types of issues you may be facing in your school.
Making the most of the first six months
Joanna Brinkley, Headteacher, Hayes Primary School, Bromley
Adam Williams, Principal, John Cabot Academy, Bristol
How do you find your feet in a new role? Where do you start? Two years ago, Joanna Brinkley took up the headship of a large suburban school in Bromley, Kent. The school had been rated as 'good' by Ofsted only two years previously and had enormous potential. But where to start? Adam Williams was appointed principal of John Cabot Academy in Bristol at the age of just 33, making him one of the youngest ever secondary headteachers in the UK.
In this workshop, Adam and Joanna shared some practical insights and personal experiences of tackling the types of issues that are common to all new headteachers around the country. They gave examples of what has worked well and suggested ways of avoiding some common pitfalls.
View Adam's presentation slides from this seminar.
View Joanna's presentation slides from this seminar.
Navigating the future
Brian Ball, Headteacher, Summerlea Community Primary School
This session explored the skills and qualities required of our future leaders. Participants considered the ‘big picture’ and implications that scientific and technological advances will have on schools, and most importantly on school leadership. Exploring the core skills and qualities of excellent leadership, participants then identified those which are, or will be, particularly relevant in the future. The session then examined the implications of the rapidly emerging climate of ‘collaboration and partnership’ in relation to their new role as headteacher.
Key workshop messages:
- ‘big picture’ change will require resilience around core beliefs and values alongside openness and willingness to do things differently
- good leadership embraces change
- good leadership responds to context: national, local and individual needs and solutions
- good leadership focuses on learning
Moving to academy status
Anne McCormick, Headteacher, Queens Park Academy, Bedford
Pat Dubas, Principal, The Samworth Enterprise Academy, Leicester
Are you considering academy status either as an individual school or as part of a cluster of school? In this workshop Anne and Pat gave an insight into what conversion to academy status might mean for you and your school. The workshop focused on: the process, including decision making, options available and the key considerations regarding governance; the funding structures and income streams; and organisational and delivery freedoms.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Creating a culture of evaluation and managing performance
Peter Maunder, Headteacher, Oldway Primary School, Paignton
Joan McVittie, Principal, Woodside High School Wood Green, London
Performance management in schools is changing, in that local authorities will no longer be employing SIPs, and there are new proposals on teaching standards and performance management. In this workshop, Peter and Joan drew on their experiences to explore both the evaluation of the headteacher’s performance and the use of performance management for all staff – both teaching and non-teaching. They also looked at staff development and offered tried and tested strategies for dealing with ineffective staff.
View the presentation slides from this seminar.
Improving the quality of teaching: implications for leadership
Sarah Holland, Headteacher, Lovers’ Lane Primary School, Newark
Vicky Beer, Headteacher, Ashton-on-Mersey School, Sale
As a new head how can you keep your focus on the core purpose of leading learning and teaching? How do you communicate your 'vision' for learning during challenging times for schools? How can you ‘tap into’ the support of specialist leaders of education?
This workshop focused on:
- the role of the headteacher in leading the improvement of teaching to close the achievement gap
- how you, as a leader, can ensure you have a realistic grasp of provision and outcomes
- understanding and implementing the strategies to improve teaching, including addressing underperformance
- engaging stakeholders and holding them to account
- the role of specialist leaders of education (SLE)
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