A culture of opporunity has created a robust leadership capacity for the future

Case study

August 2011

The school or system context

Bournemouth Alternative Needs Federation (BANF) provides education and support for pupils with a broad range of special needs.

It comprises:

Bicknell School – for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD)
Nigel Bowes School – a pupil referral unit (PRU) for pupils who are temporarily excluded from school and a turnaround service for pupils at key stages 1 and 2 to help maintain their mainstream places
Alternative Centre for Education – supporting disengaged mainstream pupils to complete their education
Throop Learning Centre – intensively supporting medically unfit pupils
Bournemouth Alternative Needs Outreach Service – which works with mainstream schools for disruptive pupils

The Bournemouth Behaviour Service will be joining the federation later in 2011. The federation is a national support school.

Leadership culture, opportunities and development

The federation is underpinned by an ethos of high expectations for all:

“The ethos for both children and staff is to develop your full potential. It’s better when staff are challenged... [the executive head] likes to stretch people". There is strong investment in the leadership development of senior and middle leaders; teachers and support staff are equally supported to develop leadership to high levels. The federation has taken up a range of National College opportunities as well as investing heavily in leadership coaching for its senior and middle leaders. The culture provides opportunities for people to lead in very different areas. Leaders are committed to supporting others, both in the federation and beyond.

This is also seen as an opportunity for learning. “If someone says they have a great idea, they’re told, ‘You take it on and lead it,’ which fosters confidence". Aligned management processes, including phase leader and one-to-one meetings, ensure that processes are carried through by new phase leaders. Modelling plays a major role and there are people now in the federation who have the capacity to lead it in the future. “Four years ago, everything depended on me,” said the headteacher. “Over the years I have strengthened the senior leadership. They are strong, committed, career-minded, future headteachers in their own right. I’m sure they’d like my job. I can go away and they will run the organisation. They are now developing the same with other people.”

Example of leadership progression

The manager of the Alternative Centre for Education started as a teaching assistant with one pupil and has been nurtured, encouraged and given opportunities to develop her strengths and challenge herself in new areas. She now has a major role in alternative curriculum provision and is starting to develop new provision offsite.

“The senior leadership of the school has encouraged me every step of the way. They’ve shown me complete support; I am encouraged to make decisions and backed when I make them.”

Notable features

There is a strong culture of coaching.
Staff are given opportunities to lead across a range of challenging contexts.

Further information

This case study is taken from our research publication – Prepared to lead: How schools, federations and chains grow education leaders.