Guest Column - September/October 2024
Matt Bromley The Stories We Tell
Four school leadership qualities Energy To my mind, school leaders possess determination, plus an indomitable will and passion for success. They show an interest in every aspect of their school, visiting all areas and speaking to all staff as often as possible. For example, standing in the foyer first thing in the morning allows leaders to greet staff, who can then book a meeting later in the day if they need to talk. Walking the corridors at break and lunchtime and during lesson changeovers can make leaders seem omniscient and give confidence to teachers that they are not alone, that their leaders have got their backs. This requires excellent time management skills, using the diary effectively and delegating where appropriate to protect their precious time. Shadowing a learner once a term allows a school leader to see their school from the learner’s point of view - an invaluable and humbling exercise which can really inform a school leader’s actions and priorities. Walking the floor enables leaders to collect stories of success too, and stories can prove powerful tools when enthusing colleagues and inspiring effort. Enthusiasm Great leaders exude positivity, especially when communicating their school’s vision and values, and when reminding staff of past success as well as future promise. Such positivity is best communicated through stories which act as ‘state of the nation’ addresses told in assemblies, staff briefings, professional development events, and open evenings in which a school leader gives a Henry V-style speech. This is where great leaders really harness the power of stories – and utilise the stories they’ve collected by walking the floor - to flesh out their ideas and hopes and to galvanise and unite people behind an improvement effort. Great leaders have an intellectual curiosity too, reading widely and sharing research with colleagues. They also lead by example, as a great practitioner where appropriate, but always as someone who loves to learn and strives to know more and be more effective. Great leaders can also be role models by performing well in assemblies, by visiting tutorials and lessons to talk to learners, and by covering lessons for colleagues to allow them to engage in quality professional development. Hope Great leaders display a certainty that their vision will be realised, as if they expect it to be achieved rather than just wish it to be so. They always seek positive change and keep colleagues focused on the process of improvement by telling stories that describe the journey from the past to the present (what have colleagues already achieved?) and from the present to the future (what is their next challenge?). Hope is also about displaying a boundless optimism and resilience in the face of setbacks. Great leaders can pick themselves up after experiencing a setback, dust themselves down, and keep walking forwards. Yes, they learn from past mistakes rather than airbrushing them out of existence, but they are not deterred by mistakes, regarding them as an integral part of the improvement journey and of growth. They focus on the future and tell stories of recovery and rebirth, of the successes that were born of repeated failure. Kindness Great leaders routinely recognise and reward success in a way favoured by each member of staff (some people like public adulation; others melt to a puddle at the mere thought of it). Celebrating others’ achievements is an everyday part of what these leaders do rather than an afterthought or rarity. And these celebrations also act as stories of success which inspire others to emulate these achievements and give oxygen to the good and virtuous. Success stories foster a positive culture and a sense of collective triumph. They also keep people moving forwards in the right direction and starve negative thoughts of air, muffling naysayers and nit-pickers. Great leaders also give quality time to people. Having an open-door policy does not mean being available 24 hours a day, but it does mean being able to meet with staff as soon as possible and listening and responding to what they have to say. Great leaders are protective of their staff, showing empathy, respecting people’s privacy, remembering birthdays, and granting personal leave - without question - when staff have important or urgent personal matters to attend to such as family funerals. They also set as their default position a genuine belief that everybody wishes to do well and will try their best, rather than assuming the worst of people. But great leaders are also great because they are human. And as humans they are fallible. They make mistakes. They do not always get it right. Do not look to leaders for perfection or expect it of yourself because, where you ostensibly find it, it may mask duplicity or inaction. Instead, look for humanity, for people who are energetic, enthusiastic, hopeful, and kind, and people who are also prone to making mistakes from time to time because they are willing to take risks, to try new things, and to challenge and reform working practices in the hope of improving their provision. Extract from Chapter 15 of The Stories We Tell by Matt Bromley Published by Routledge © Matt Bromley 2025 The Stories We Tell (September/October 2024) Guest Column - July/August 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the current wave of change flowing through school education. The education sector is facing other significant challenges, including teacher shortages, growing student populations, and the increasing complexity of teaching roles. Matt Esterman The Next Word Consultancy: We can shape a bright future with the right words... Artificial intelligence and teachers: augmentation not replacement (July/August 2024) Guest Column - June/July 2024
A few months ago, as I was walking to a meeting in Westminster, I came across a police cordon blocking my route. As I contemplated how I would get to my destination, several police motorbikes came into view, headlights flashing. Close behind was a convoy of chauffeur-driven limousines, with more police escort bikes taking up the rear. The cavalcade swooshed past effortlessly and disappeared rapidly into the distance on the empty road. Rachel Macfarlane Cavalcade (June/July 2024) Guest Column - April 2024
Successful leaders don't just improve schools, they transform them. Everyone wants to lead a good and effective school. Everyone taking over a school in trouble wants it to recover and return respectability to the education it provides to its children. However, some leaders set ambitions that achieve these aims more effectively or quicker. Conversely, school improvement is often limited by leaders' lack of ambition. Rarely do schools achieve their aims better or quicker than the ambitions that their leaders have set. Tim Coulson The A - Z of School Improvement (April 2024) Guest Column - March 2024
Recently schools received detailed guidance from the Department for Education on banning the use of mobile phones in school. A 'non-policy for a non-problem' was the response of one teaching union. Keith Grainger Real policies to solve real problems (March 2024) Guest Column - February 2024
As a child I was a keen member of the Zoological Society of London's Young Zoologists Club. I remember making the long journey to Whipsnade Zoo to see the critically endangered Pere David's Deer. Extinct in their native China, the deer in Whipsnade were part of British/Chinese collaboration to bring these unique animals back from the brink and reintroduce them into the wild. David Ingram Stewardship (February 2024) Guest Column - January 2024
I started my teacher training course at the University of Leeds on Monday 17th September 2001. I remember the specific date because it was less than one week after the horrific events at the World Trade Centre on Tuesday September 11th. Dom Burke A failure to invest in education risks our future prosperity (January 2024) Guest Essay - January 2024
The current inspection paradigm has long since outlived its original purpose. The case for inspection is that it provides an independent, external evaluation and identifies what needs to improve for provision to be good or better. Rob Stokoe Appreciative Enquiry: A New Inspection Paradigm (January 2024) Guest Column - December 2023
Once we have designed an ambitious curriculum which is broad and balanced, planned and sequenced, and offered it - with equality - to all students, we need to ensure that all students can access that curriculum and achieve. Matt Bromley and Andy Griffith The Working Classroom: How to make school work for working-class students (December 2023) Guest Column - November 2023
We are the firefighters, called in when things need calming. We are the referees, called in when we need to take back control. We are the Avengers, arriving with a fanfare to right wrongs and ensure justice is done. And, to be fair to us, those are all valid roles for a senior leader and ones that we're generally rather good at fulfilling. When called upon to do so, we act quickly and appropriately to maintain the good order of the school. Andy Hunter Jumping? (November 2023) Guest Column - October 2023
This independent article from Alison Jeffery, Director for Children's Services for East Sussex County Council is part of the LGA children and young people's mental health think piece series. Alison has written this piece in a personal capacity and explores the question 'what would a good 'whole system' set of services and policies to support mental health and wellbeing look like?'. Alison Jeffery Reforming the mental health system for children and young people (October 2023) Guest Column - September 2023
Mr Hargreaves was an inspirational teacher who led me to some success in A level chemistry a few decades ago. He was young and enthusiastic, creating multicoloured Banda sheets (a forerunner to laser printers, Google 'Banda spirit duplicator' to have a giggle) by the ream. The whole class looked forward to his lessons: he was clear about class rules, demanding in the amount of homework and revision we had to do, merciless on those who didn't, and supportive of all his students. David Chidgey Looking back, thinking ahead (September 2023) Guest Column - June/ July 2023
Marc Rowland Addressing disadvantage with small numbers of disadvantaged pupils
Getting the climate right through teacher agency, shared understanding, shared ambitions. Through building strong relationships, having high expectations. It may be even MORE important to be mindful of these issues where the majority of children are growing up in families with more stable, higher incomes.
Addressing disadvantage with small numbers of disadvantaged pupils (June/ July 2023) Guest Column - May 2023
Jack George Inter-school collaboration has never been more important
There are a lot of things at Aiglon College, Switzerland, about which we can be proud, but one aspect stands out for me - it is our scholarship programme.
Inter-school collaboration has never been more important (May 2023) Guest Column - March/ April 2023
Alison Rendle & Kit Messenger 'Curious Not Furious'
Nobody rises to low expectations.Once the first foundation stone of strong, positive relationships is firmly in place, we need to take a look at the second of those three foundation stones: working with young people to set clear, consistent and high expectations. You may have heard the saying that nobody rises to low expectations. That's why we firmly believe that expectations should be set high for all young people. High expectations set the aspiration that young people and all those around them are able to be safe, content and at their best. 'Curious Not Furious' (March/ April 2023) Guest Column - February/ March 2023
Carole Herman Mathematics for all?
When Rishi Sunak announced in his first speech of 2023 that all students should continue to learn mathematics to the age of 18, I am sure I wasn't the only educationalist to be somewhat surprised. When had this major policy announcement been discussed with the profession?
Mathematics for all? (February/ March 2023) Guest Column - January 2023
Malcolm Wheeler Open your classroom window
Marsha Ivins, a veteran of five space shuttle missions who logged over 1,300 hours in space, was asked by one of our students, 'So how do you go to toilet in space?' Her smile told me it was a question she had often fielded. Her answer, although given hundreds of times by her, was original for every child asking the question for the first time.
Open your classroom window (January 2023) Guest Column - December 2022
Tim Coulson If I were Education Secretary
If I were education secretary, I would expect to reverse the current position, and to be seen as more influential than Ofsted.
If I were Education Secretary (December 2022) Guest Column - September/October 2022
Simon Watson Aim High, Work Smart, Care Deeply
International schools are free to choose from the best educational initiatives around the world, unshackled from the administrative handcuffs of national and state regulations. Aim High, Work Smart, Care Deeply (September/October 2022) Guest Column - July/August 2022
Jane Harris 2030 vision: we need to talk about speech and language
Given the unusual way the schools white paper and SEND green paper were published on consecutive days in late March, it is understandable that the sector is still trying to make sense of them.
2030 vision: we need to talk about speech and language (July/August 2022) Guest Column - April/May 2022
Andy Samways 10 reasons why reading aloud matters
The simplest sentences are often the most impactful. That was certainly the case in Roy Blatchford's monthly column in March:"If you read no further than the end of this sentence, please watch the YouTube video Frank Cottrell-Boyce supporting the Essex Year of Reading - Essex County Council." 10 reasons why reading aloud matters (April/May 2022) Guest Column - February 2022
Tom Duckling Learning Strands
It is the start of term and for INSET day an engaging and inspirational speaker has been booked. It is a financial investment but they have a great reputation on the conference circuit and some glittering reviews. Learning Strands (February 2022) Guest Column - January 2022
Samantha Smith Lead as yourself
When I was starting as a headteacher, I was given the advice, Remember to lead as you. This is a most valuable piece of advice and one I often return to. And it has never been more important than in the past two years, when we have all been asked to give more than we ever thought we would. Lead as yourself (January 2022) Guest Column - December 2021
Jean Gross Reaching The Unseen Children
This is an extract from Chapter Seven of Jean Gross's recently published 'Reaching The Unseen Children'The seven secrets of self-efficacy This is the most important chapter in this book. It is important because it introduces a concept which is relatively unfamiliar to educators, but profoundly important in improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. Reaching The Unseen Children (December 2021) Guest Column - November 2021
David Bartram OBE Leading great SEND provision in schools
We appear to be making the leadership of SEND increasingly complicated. The danger of creating this overly complex approach is that it persuades teachers across the country that they may not be sufficiently expert enough to help children experiencing difficulty. Leading great SEND provision in schools (November 2021) Guest Column - October 2021
The learning scientistCameron Mirza The critical success factor in the education system will always be the teacher. It is essential today that teachers are supported to develop the skills, subject knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, pedagogical content knowledge and digital skills required to thrive in the classroom environment. The recently published teaching report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by Microsoft, laid stark some sobering data. The learning scientist (October 2021) Guest Column - September 2021
At the cutting edge Harry Hudson Teaching is moving at a pace, and there has never been a more exciting time to become a teacher. We know more now than we have ever known about how the brain works, and teachers can be more confident than at any time in history about the science of learning. What's more, there is still so much left to discover. At the cutting edge (September 2021) Guest Column - June 2021
Great news! Primary languages are rubbish! By Old Cobbler Ofsted blog: schools, early years, further education and skills As the subject lead's blog on the Ofsted website explains, inspectors recently visited 24 primary schools, all rated excellent at their latest inspection, to assess the quality of their languages teaching. Great news! Primary languages are rubbish! (June 2021) Guest Column - May 2021
Rethinking assessment: in praise of ePortfoliosDr Michael Lightfoot The long-term impact on education systems caused by the Great Pandemic of 2020/21 will take many years to play out. Emergency remote teaching became the mode through which education systems tried to overcome the impacts of school closures, and most schools turned to EdTech for solutions. Rethinking assessment: in praise of ePortfolios (May 2021) Guest Column - April 2021
Shaping the legacy of COVID-19David Ingram During a particularly difficult stretch of the lockdown, my professional coach invited me to engage my curiosity. This prompted me to consider the enormity of the pandemic from an entirely different perspective. I remain curious. Necessity may have been the mother of invention during lockdown but as the world returns to a semblance of normality, school leaders will need to ponder next steps. Shaping the legacy of COVID-19 (April 2021) Guest Column - March 2021
Changing the image of teachingHarry Hudson Education is in the spotlight in a way it hasn't been for decades, and much has been said about how teaching can 'build back better' after the pandemic. Yet step back from all the talk of 'catch up funding' and ways our classroom practice can be improved by having taught online, and there's an even bigger picture. Changing the image of teaching (March 2021) Guest Column - February 2021
CultureMarc Rowland The most effective strategies give teachers and other staff the capacity, expertise, knowledge and development to meet the needs of their pupils and improve them as learners. Teacher agency and buy-in are fundamental to success. They all complement one another, working together to support the development of a culture of inclusivity where pupils' needs are understood and assessment drives action. Culture (February 2021) Guest Column - January 2021
Malcolm Wheeler
Online passages from India
The pandemic will be remembered in the words of Dickens as "the worst of times" and, in the most unintended ways, also "the best of times". Before the lockdown, the challenge for our kind of schools was finding the sweet spot between theoretical and experiential learning. After the move to virtual learning, it has become about finding our collective 'ikigai', or finding our reason for being.
Online passages from India (January 2021) Guest Column – December 2020
Keith Grainger, Principal, Garth Hill College
The case for the defence: online learning
In a week when the government has threatened councils with legal action over decisions to switch to online learning over coronavirus fears, I feel the urge to celebrate the considerable merits of online learning. Such threats almost cast a slur on the very concept of online learning and, given our positive experience as a state secondary school, I am compelled to make a case for the defence. The case for the defence: online learning (December 2020) |