Supporting Middle Leaders

Supporting Middle Leaders: Discussion Document

• OFSTED describes middle leaders as the ‘engine house of school improvement’. Effective, well managed and motivated middle leaders drive the school forward.
• Transformation cannot take place without distributive leadership.
• Great schools invest heavily in developing the skills and practices of the middle leaders

Key Ideas:

1. Leadership Audit
2. Leadership triads
3. Leadership Review Cycle

1) Leadership Audit

• An ‘Online tool’
• Self Assessment
• Used as a starting point for LM

2) Leadership Trinities Who Does this? Member of Leadership team working with 2 middle leaders Helps creates leadership partnerships that help middle leaders understand their own role better Why is this Important?

• Gives SLT accurate feedback
• Spreads the ownership of the plan and avoids the being “done to” culture
• Makes School priorities understood more widely

Possible Learning Experiences

Middle Leadership Shadowing Observing together	Curriculum Appropriateness Where is the Innovation? How do curriculum areas know their model works?	Parents and the Local Community Each partnership group leads a parent voice surgery to evaluate parent questionnaire Sample Phone Calls
Student Aspirations Student Voice focus groups	Teaching and Learning Observation with Focus Not just scoring lessons	Governance Attendance as observer at governor meeting
Performance in Public Exams Understanding RAISE on Line	Student Behaviour Meet with 1 member of the Welfare/Inclusion team to link their role to improvement	Learning Environment Buildings for the Future School Environments

Supporting Leadership Triads

• Coaching for team from Head
• INSET time for whole staff feedback
• Governors attached to the Partnerships
• Visits to other schools to support and see contrasts

Benefits

Real Leadership Experience

Benefits the school as it contributes to the Self Evaluation

Closes the gap between Middle Leaders and Senior Leaders

Best Practice emerges for sharing

Leadership Review Cycle

What Leaders Do

	Core Skills
Personalising Learning	Pedagogical Understanding Make Analytical Judgements
Developing People	Feedback and Listening Coaching Managing the “hard” conversation
Ensuring Accountability	Monitoring Performance Management KPIs and Targets
Assuring Quality	Standards and Expectations Recognising Outstanding
Beyond The School	Networking Communications Wider Public Services
Lead for the Future	National and International Developments Innovation with Purpose Adaptability

Role of the subject leader

There are four key areas of subject leadership.

1. Strategic direction and development of the subject
2. Teaching and learning
3. Leading and managing staff
4. Efficient and effective deployment of staff and resources

Expertise in subject leadership is demonstrated by the ability to apply professional knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes to the identified tasks to bring about the desired outcomes.

Strategic direction and development of the subject
1	Develop and implement policies and practices for the subject which reflect the school’s commitment to high achievement, effective teaching and learning
2	Create a climate which enables other staff to develop and maintain positive attitudes towards the subject and confidence in teaching it
3	Establish a clear, shared understanding of the importance and role of the subject in contributing to pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development, and in preparing pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life
4	Use data effectively to identify pupils who are underachieving in the subject and, where necessary, create and implement effective plans of action to support those pupils
5	Analyse and interpret relevant national, local and school data, plus research and inspection evidence, to inform policies, practices, expectations, targets and teaching methods
6	Establish, with the involvement of relevant staff, short, medium and long term plans for the development and resourcing of the subject, which:a)     contribute to whole-school aims, policies and practices, including those in relation to behaviour, discipline, bullying and racial harassment
7	b)    are based on a range of comparative information and evidence, including in relation to the attainment of pupils
8	c)     identify realistic and challenging targets for improvement in the subject
9	d)    are understood by all those involved in putting the plans into practice
10	e)     are clear about action to be taken, timescales and criteria for success
11	Monitor the progress made in achieving subject plans and targets, evaluate the effects on teaching and learning, and use this analysis to guide further improvement

Teaching and Learning
1	Ensure curriculum coverage, continuity and progression in the subject for all pupils, including those of high ability and those with special educational or linguistic needs
2	Ensure that teachers are clear about the teaching objectives in lessons, understand the sequence of teaching and learning in the subject, and communicate such information to pupils
3	Provide guidance on the choice of appropriate teaching and learning methods to meet the needs of the subject and of different pupils
4	Ensure effective development of pupils’ literacy, numeracy and information technology skills through the subject
5	Establish and implement clear policies and practices for assessing, recording and reporting on pupil achievement, and for using this information to recognise achievement and to assist pupils in setting targets for further improvement
6	Ensure that information about pupils’ achievements in previous classes and schools is used effectively to secure good progress in the subject
7	Set expectations and targets for staff and pupils in relation to standards of pupil achievement and the quality of teaching; establish clear targets for pupil achievement, and evaluate progress and achievement in the subject by all pupils, including those with special educational and linguistic needs
8	Evaluate the teaching of the subject in the school, use this analysis to identify effective practice and areas for improvement, and take action to improve further the quality of teaching
9	Ensure effective development of pupils’ individual and collaborative study skills necessary for them to become increasingly independent in their work and to complete tasks independently when out of school
10	Ensure that teachers of the subject are aware of its contribution to pupils’ understanding of the duties, opportunities, responsibilities and rights of citizens
11	Ensure that teachers of the subject know how to recognise and deal with racial stereotyping
12	Establish a partnership with parents to involve them in their child’s learning of the subject, as well as providing information about curriculum, attainment, progress and targets
13	Develop effective links with the local community, including business and industry, in order to extend the subject curriculum, enhance teaching and to develop pupils’ wider understanding.

Leading and managing staff
1	Help staff to achieve constructive working relationships with pupils
2	Establish clear expectations and constructive working relationships among staff involved with the subject, including through team working and mutual support; devolving responsibilities and delegating tasks, as appropriate; evaluating practice; and developing an acceptance of accountability
3	Sustain their own motivation and, where possible, that of other staff involved in the subject
4	Appraise staff as required by the school policy and use the process to develop the personal and professional effectiveness of the appraisee(s)
5	Audit training needs of subject staff
6	Lead professional development of subject staff through example and support, and co-ordinate the provision of high quality professional development by methods such as coaching, drawing on other sources of expertise as necessary, for example, higher education, LEAs, subject associations
7	Ensure that trainee and newly qualified teachers are appropriately trained, monitored, supported, and assessed in relation to standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status, the Career Entry Profiles and standards for induction
8	Enable teachers to achieve expertise in their subject teaching
9	Work with SENCO and any other staff with special educational needs expertise, to ensure that individual education plans are used to set subject-specific targets and match work well to pupils’ needs
10	Ensure that the headteacher, senior managers and governors are well informed about subject policies, plans and priorities, the success in meeting objectives and targets, and subject-related professional development plans

Efficient and effective deployment of staff and resources
1	Establish staff and resource needs for the subject and advise the headteacher and senior managers of likely priorities for expenditure, and allocate available subject resources with maximum efficiency to meet the objectives of the school and subject plans and to achieve value for money
2	Deploy, or advise headteacher on the deployment of staff involved in the subject to ensure the best use of the subject, technical and other expertise
3	Ensure the effective and efficient management and organisation of learning resources, including ICT
4	Maintain existing resources and explore opportunities to develop or incorporate new resources from a wide range of sources inside and outside the school
5	Use accommodation to create an effective and stimulating environment for the teaching and learning of the subject;
6	Ensure that there is a safe working and learning environment in which risks are properly assessed

 

Accountability Tips

All objectives for all staff should be based on whole school objectives

Targets should be clear and attainable and set in 1^st week of term

There should be a clear focus for every LM meeting

Timeline: Agree what will be done for each fortnight this could be completed on an A3 sheet

LM folder: Suggest that keep all LM notes in one folder

‘Nipping at the heels’

Make ML feel uncomfortable for not completing what they said they would

Have data from other departments and anticipate excuses

BRING IT BACK TO THE CHILDREN

Use words like ‘disappointed’

Pull into SLT for a grilling

Challenge unacceptable conduct e.g. “what did you mean by what you said….” “was what you said helpful…”

Teaching and Learning

–       is there a consistent focus on outcomes

–       is learning at the centre of strategic planning and resource management

–       is there an ethos of challenge and support

–       do all staff in dept. continually articulate high expectations

–       what strategies have been implemented to ensure high standards of behaviour

–       how do they monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice and use this to improve practice

–       how do they challenge underperformance and ensure effective corrective action and follow up this action e.g. offering to allow observation of starters

 Cycle for LM Focus??

 

Sept	SET TARGETS GCSE Results Induction of New staff
Oct	Course Work Completion
Nov	Key Interventions for year 11 focus on CW
Dec	Review of Mocks
Jan	Key Interventions for year 11 focus on Exams
Feb	Review of  Mocks
March	Review of departments contribution to Whole School
June	Review of Year. Gain Time Projects
July	Review of Curriculum