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    • January 2012
      • Heads and governors: a critical friendship
      • Working with the media: can you hack it?
      • Schools and children's centres: an integrated approach
      • Pulling together for the 20 per cent
      • Curriculum matters
      • Two into one does go
      • Time for a coaching culture revolution?
      • Improving outcomes for children - where will local authorities fit in?
      • The children, the staff and the school must mean everything to you

"The children, the staff and the school must mean everything to you"

Katharine Hall, Assistant Headteacher at St John Fisher Catholic High School, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, takes the ldr leadership questionnaire.

1. Career history

I first developed a passion for helping others to learn when I was working in New Zealand, teaching skiing and snowboarding. I returned to the UK and completed a degree in design and technology with qualified teaching status (QTS). My first teaching post was in Sheffield and three years later I accepted a post as head of design technology at a school in Dewsbury where I later became director of learning for art, design and technology. I wanted to make an impact beyond the confines of the department that I led so earlier this year I took the opportunity to join Future Leaders, a leadership development programme that develops teachers to become outstanding school leaders. I started my first year on the programme in September as assistant headteacher at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Dewsbury.

2. What are the key challenges of your role?

I want to close the achievement gap for children from challenging backgrounds, raise aspirations and standards – the challenge is to stay focused on these aims. I want all children to leave school with skills that will help them fulfil their potential and achieve success whatever path they choose. Challenging low aspirations is not quick or easy. However, I believe that by working hard to raise standards and expectations we can improve the prospects of all children.

3. What does leadership mean to you?

It’s all about inspiring, empowering and challenging others with honesty, authenticity and integrity. It’s about relationships, creating a shared vision and values, and regularly revisiting your mission.

4. What is the best piece of leadership advice you've received?

Maintain your integrity and remember your values and what you stand for. I use this to refocus on a regular basis. At some point, all senior leadership teams will have to make unpopular decisions and remembering my values is key to remaining in control of my emotions. It’s really hard when you know that you have to give someone bad news.

One of the mottos from my Future Leaders training is that ‘feedback is a gift’. It’s important that everyone knows when they’re doing well and how they can improve. Feedback that promotes positive behaviours and values goes a long way – its human nature to want to be the best we can. It’s also essential that headteachers and leadership teams seek honest feedback from those that they lead to help them so that they can develop and improve too.

5. And what advice would you give to others aspiring to be school leaders?

I think you need to be a school leader for the right reasons. For me it’s all about making sure that students get the best education possible so that they can have a wide range of opportunities in life. Being a member of the senior leadership team is hard work and it’s not a role that you can close the office door on when you finish for the day. The children, the staff and the school must mean everything to you.

6. In your experience, what are the three key leadership approaches that create a successful organisation?

Communicating a clear and shared vision of where your school, organisation or team is going and why. On a day when things aren’t going so well, it’s important for everyone within the organisation to remember why they get up in the morning. Coming together to celebrate and realign themselves to the school’s values and vision is also essential.

Empowering others to take responsibility and make decisions – in leadership it’s no longer only about you! As a leader, you support and develop others so that they can make the right decisions. At the end of the day, you are only as good as the people around you; therefore you must desire to make your team as successful as possible.

Leading by setting an example; having high expectations and holding to account. It’s natural that we want to be like our role models. I think back to those who I looked up to and I know that I have tried to adopt their ways of working. I believe that any successful organisation will see its employees living the principles and values of the leaders they respect.

Published January 2012