Questioning and Reflecting: Becoming a Learning-Centred Leader

The key to successful leadership that really impacts learning outcomes lies in reflective practices. Peter Dudley outlines the skills and routines that the best leaders have in common.

Leadership for improvement, leadership for collaborative professionalism, leadership for sustainability, change leadership, distributed leadership, evidence-informed leadership – the list goes on. In the search for a unifying leadership concept that can embody and embrace all of these is, for me, ‘Leadership for Learning’, which sits alongside all the others, yet has strong elements of learning-focused orientation or learning-centred leadership.¹

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      string(353) "... the narrative of initial teacher training and professional development for the best part of thirty years, despite persistent questions over its value. Professor Russell Grigg and Helen Lewis explore what we know about reflective practice, demystify the process and consider what reflective practice really has to offer teachers and leaders."
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      string(451) "Todaywww.teachingtimes.comSchool ImprovementReflectivepracticeReferencesBrookfield, S. (1995 .) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Dewey J. (1938 .) Experience and Education. New York: Macmillan.Df .E (2013 .) Teachers’ Standards Guidance for school leaders, school staff and governing bodies. London: DfE.GTCNI . (2008 .) Teaching: the Reflective Profession, Belfast: General Teaching Council ..."
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      string(383) "Reflective practice has dominated the narrative of initial teacher training and professional development for the best part of thirty years, despite persistent questions over its value. Professor Russell Grigg and Helen Lewis explore what we know about reflective practice, demystify the process and consider what reflective practice really has to offer teachers and leaders."
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      string(3673) "Todaywww.teachingtimes.comSchool ImprovementReflectivepracticeReferencesBrookfield, S. (1995 .) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Dewey J. (1938 .) Experience and Education. New York: Macmillan.Df .E (2013 .) Teachers’ Standards Guidance for school leaders, school staff and governing bodies. London: DfE.GTCNI . (2008 .) Teaching: the Reflective Profession, Belfast: General Teaching Council for Northern IrelandGrigg, R. (201 .6) ‘Leave me alone and let me teach.’ Teachers’ Views of Welsh Government Education Policies and Education inWales’, Wales Journal of Education, 18.1, 64-86.OECD (2005) Teachers Matter, Paris: OECD.Sahlberg, P. (2014 .) Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? New York: Teachers’College Press.Schön, D. (1983 .) The Reflective Practitioner. London: Temple Smith.Wiliam, D. (2014 .) ‘Using Assessment Thoughtfully’, Educational Leadership, 71: 6, 16-19.Further resourcesThe Welsh Government’s Learning Wales website hosts a range of resources on reflective ,practice,e.g. http://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/reflective-practice-information-booklet/?lang=enthen immediately evaluates students’ responses, leads to disengagement and canactually widen the attainment gap – confident learners participate by putting theirhands up while others decline (Wiliam, 2014). On the other hand, engagement can beincreased through no-hands up, picking students at random, using all-student responsesystems every 20 or 30 minutes and framing lessons around questions.In reflecting on the views of her Year 8 class, Lauren found that, while a hardcore of learners were often quick to answer and enjoyed being stretched, othersfound it difficult to articulate their answers to more challenging questions and feltuncomfortable about being put on the spot. So, Lauren introduced different methods(e.g., Think-Pair-Share and mini whiteboards) to support those pupils who were notinitially engaging with the increased number of higher level thinking questions. Shehas reached the conclusion that changes to her approach to questioning has increasedstudent engagement, although she reco sgni es the need to follow up this hunch bycollecting and sanaly ing data. This is why reflective practice is closely associated withaction research and evaluation. Lauren’s experience illustrates how reflection is a fluidprocess that can sharpen and refine practice.ConclusionReflective practice, then, has much to offer those who take their craft seriously. It is nota gimmick, though it is challenging to find time and space to reflect thoughtfully. Beingconvinced of the value of reflective practice is one thing, but how do teachers becomebetter at reflecting? How can reflective practice be developed across the school? Thesequestions will be discussed in the next two articles.Helen Lewis is Programme Director for PGCE Primary at the University of WalesTrinity Saint David. She is completing a PhD on metacognition in the early years.D .r Russell Grigg is executive head of research at the Wales Centre for Equity inEducation. He has more than 25 years’ experience in education, working as aprimary teacher, head of school, inspector and teacher educator.Russell Grigg and Helen LewisG.R.Grigg@uwtsd.ac.ukH.E.Lewis@uwtsd.ac.ukAcknowledgementLauren O-Connor-Simpson is a Year 8 teacher at Michaelston Community CollegeCardiff.http://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/reflective-practice-information-booklet/?lang=enmailto:G.R.Grigg@uwtsd.ac.ukmailto:H.E.Lewis@uwtsd.ac.uk"
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Leadership

SLT 7.6 Is reflective practice worth all the effort?

13 Mar 2017

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      string(4643) "64……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Effective professional development for teachers in small primary schools ■■■■■➜The needs of small primary schools are often neglected. Sally Wilkinson describes herresearch with eighteen schools to discover the kinds of professional development that ismost effective.Effective professionaldevelopment forteachers in small primaryschools65……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………ResearchAs the organisation of professional development is increasingly being led through formal or informal collaboration between schools (Stoll, Harris andHandscomb, 2012), is it tailored to the needs of teachersworking in different sized schools? Following an in-depth study in a large rural local authority, this paperargues that effective professional development forteachers working in small primary schools needs specificconsideration. It focuses on answering the question:Which forms of external professional development do teachersin small rural primary schools find most effective for supportingtheir professional learning and why?■■■ Tight knit communities versusprofessional isolation – internationalperspectivesThe tight knit community of a small school could beseen as advantageous for leaders as a unity of purposeby all staff could enable innovations to develop andbe embedded quickly. In a study of a group of twoand three teacher schools in Finland, Merilinen andPietarinen (2003) found that these schools were betterat implementing and embedding new initiatives as thestaff would be able to discuss and solve any issuesarising from the new aspects of their practice morequickly than in a larger school. The smaller numberof staff involved also meant that they would bemore likely to work collegiately as a cohesive group.However, the tight knit community could also lead toteachers becoming passive recipients of professionaldevelopment and not questioning or reflecting on theirindividual practice in depth. In this situation teacherscould become institutionalised: isolated professionallyfrom educational thinking and ideas outside their schoolthat could support the development of their practice.Other factors that are most often cited in evidenceof professional isolation are the geographical situationof the schools and the small number of staff workingin them. Surveys in Wales (Estyn, 2006) have foundthat teachers in small schools were very likely to be inrural areas and therefore not able to access professionaldevelopment as readily as their urban counterparts.The significance of working with a small number ofcolleagues is particularly felt when teachers wouldbenefit from collaborating with others teaching thesame age range as they do. Whilst external professionaldevelopment could facilitate this, the reality found inWales was that specific provision of courses aimed atteachers teaching in mixed age classes did not oftenoccur.■■■ Scope of the studyThis small scale study was conducted in 16 primaryschools with under 100 pupils in a large rural authority.Data were collected by quantitative and qualitativemethods in two phases. Firstly, 53 teachers respondedto a questionnaire and this was followed by interviewswith eight teachers in seven of the schools. What thendid the study find were the views of these teachers oneffective professional development?■■■ Small school influencesTeachers’ professional development needs wereinfluenced by two major aspects of working in a smallschool: the multiple roles teachers have beyond theirclassroom that comes from being part of a small staff,and teaching mixed age classes. The teachers felt thatthey often did not have sufficient opportunity to meetwith teachers from other schools, particularly in theircapacity of subject leader for their school. Withoutthe opportunities for working with colleagues fromother small schools, teachers could find it harder tobuild the social capital which"
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Professional Development

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9 Apr 2014

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      string(4853) "country without achieving the expected standard of reading. Literacy is one of the only skills that transcends the curriculum and affects a pupil’s ability to access the information in the world around them, whether in Kingsford or outside it. Therefore, we know we must continue to endeavour to tackle literacy in our school and continue to finding ways to engage pupils with reading.As educators, we are constantly striving to prepare our pupils for the ‘real world’ that exists around them. We teach them how to read, write and calculate; however, that alone cannot create a fully rounded individual ready to face a world beyond Kingsford. There are less tangible skills left to teach, such as how to work in a team, think critically and be a strong leader. At Kingsford, excellent extracurricular provision is another of our priorities for raising aspirations and attainment. Though Kingsford faces many challenges, one of them is not low attendance. Students view the school as a safe, warm and comfortable environment in which to further their academic progress as well as their development in becoming a competent and caring adult. We organise our arrangements so as to ensure members of staff are available before, during and after school to supervise and help with any school work that presents difficulties. We also make sure that there are independent study support opportunities via the Learning Resource Centre where students can do their work in a quiet and productive environment. Creating opportunities for pupils to work on aspects of their education that challenge them encourages self-activated learning, which can only help students as they ascend to higher education where the onus is solely on them to complete the work they are set.In deprived areas, such as Newham, there is a huge wealth of untapped academic talent, often lost at an early age from society due to insufficient provision of learning opportunities, guidance and challenges. Far too often the expectations of these young people are too low, despite that their minds are incredibly inquisitive, their questioning incisive and their perspectives fresh. These are individuals who, with intuitive coaching and pragmatic advice, could excel in higher education establishments and have their talents distinguished. These pupils at Kingsford continue to benefit from a diverse curriculum – some of our pupils are suited to undertaking more rigorous academic challenges, while others are better suited to follow creative or vocational routes. The decision to not blindly concern ourselves with what the league tables prioritise means that we can offer a personalised curriculum to our pupils, enabling them to enjoy their studies and their learning experience, encouraging them to love what they do. As a consequence, the rates of progress at the school are high and well above the national average for all pupils, including those who are entitled to the Pupil Premium.Pupils at Kingsford know that they have talent and the ability to achieve, no matter what their prior attainment may be. All staff employed by the school are there to empower and enable them to release that talent, thereby unlocking societal echelons that have previously been inaccessible for students like them. It is more important now than ever that we encourage diversity, we celebrate difference and we champion excellence in whatever form it comes to us. We are continuing to pool our expertise via projects such as those that Achievement for All is providing to schools, to facilitate the betterment of the education system that is currently failing deprived children. Achievement for All encouraged us at Kingsford to reflect on how we catered for our lowest achieving twenty per cent and through this consideration we thought more deeply about our approach to all pupils across our school – it made us change our approach to education.Greek essayist Plutarch summarises the approach to education that we at Kingsford believe is the most productive and reaps the greatest rewards: ‘The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.’ At Kingsford, the fulfilment of our job does not solely lie in the league tables and school rankings which so often consume perceptions of educational success, but rather in the amount of fires we kindle, the passion we instil and the lives we change through a love of learning; a love that I believe is life-long, once awakened. Joan Deslandes, OBE is Headteacher at Kingsford Community School, a co-educational inner city Local Authority comprehensive in Newham. NotesKing, Martin Luther, Jr.  (1947, January-February). The Purpose of Education. Maroon Tiger. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/purpose-education"
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Inclusion

Raising aspirations through empowerment and leadership

4 Dec 2018

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      string(5656) "middle leaders from across Bucks will have completed the ‘Astra/Ashridge Middle Leadership’ Programme, gaining world-class insights from leading business educators, and two of our current middle leaders will have started their NPQSL qualifications, part funded by new research bursaries offered as part of our commitment to R&D.  Also, since July 2014, we have hosted two of our own ‘Astra Conferences’ with more than 120 delegates combined and helped to train 24 NQTs from six schools who have attended our free of charge ‘NQT Enhancement’ Sessions’, run in collaboration with Astra partner schools.  As part of our commitment to School Direct, this year, we will have also designed, hosted and delivered over 30 weeks of in-school training for eight unsalaried trainees, helping them to gain both QTS and employment – as well as all of them being awarded as Grade 1 (“outstanding”) on their final reports.  Furthermore, we have continued to train new ITT Mentors and ITTCOs into their upcoming roles, as well having delivered sessions for up to 20 trainees across eight schools in 2015/16.This year, we aim to offer an increasingly wide range of CPD and training events, inspired by recent successes, for staff at alliance schools and beyond.  We have set an ambitious target to ensure more Astra staff both deliver and receive alliance CPD and we want to ensure that 75% of all CPD will to be designed, authored or internally delivered within the alliance.  Technology and systemsWe also aim to ease time pressures by making further use of technology to create a more varied delivery model, e.g. online INSETs. This will broaden the scope, and accessibility, of training to suit working patterns.  Crucially, we are designing a portfolio based ‘Knowledge & Skills Audit’, allowing staff across the alliance to showcase their abilities, including endorsements (similar to the LinkedIn model), and allowing easier matching of skill sets to training delivery needs.  We will open up our CPD opportunities, using ‘EventBrite’ (and social media integrations) to ensure everyone is aware of what is going on, and to ensure the highest possible attendance at all events. This is a free-for-free ‘event management’ platform that will be linked (by us) back to evaluations and endorsements, creating a valuable feedback loop.Scitt happens?The other area of key growth is ITT, often described as the “Big Brother” to the other five of the “Big 6” (and not in a creepy Orwellian sense), which is why we took the decision to submit a SCITT bid to the NCTL for accreditation from September 2016, which has now been officially approved.  Some people might ask why bother with running School-Centred ITT provision, or SCITT because, surely, ALL teacher-training is “school centred” by its very nature – and universities have been doing this sort of thing for years.  Additionally, running an SCITT means taking on responsibility for not just recruiting and hosting trainees, but ensuring they meet all the standards for QTS, as well as subject-specific delivery.  It means tracking and supporting them beyond the training year, as well as being fully accountable to Ofsted.  It means a lot of hard work and building capacity.However, one of the big attractions of growing ITT through SCITT status is that it gives our alliance partners a clear role in the teaching school model, as schools increasingly recognise teacher training as an essential part of recruitment methods as well as staff retention.  This benefits the professional development of all our current staff, with roles in mentoring, observing, interviewing and training new entrants.  Without SCITT plans, we would not have had the impetus to work so closely with primaries, with special schools and with pupil referral units.  And the bid has led us to define and redefine what we mean by outstanding teacher training, and to be innovative!  So well in advance of operation, I have had the privilege to engage in debates about education which is unique to this process; I see this as the value of self-reflection. Additionally, by becoming more involved in ITT, schools can increasingly take control of the looming teacher supply ‘crisis’ which predicts a shortfall in the number of teachers needed for our primary and secondary classrooms.  By recruiting trainees, we are recruiting not just the teachers, but also the leaders of the future; through the SCITT, we can ensure they are prepared to flourish and develop with carefully tailored, high quality and cost-effective CPD support.  However, if you are considering becoming a SCITT, please note that it is not for the faint-hearted – and may at times feel more like an endurance test than a process.  You will need to put at least three months aside for the work involved in writing and submitting the bid, from the approval meeting at the DfE to working with an NCTL representative in school.  You will need to call on wider knowledge networks to assist you, and accept that, in Year 0, you will receive no funding.  Therefore, financial reserves will have to be in place to invest, and your school, as the legal entity, will need to be fully – and literally – ‘bought’ into the vision and value of teacher training.It is a bit like running a business without actually running a business.  Although strategies like discounting programmes in shortage subjects may be considered, I am not trying to"
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Leadership

The Magnificent Seven: The foundation pillars of a transformative school led system

26 Sep 2017