What have you learned from this account of
practice about the way in which a head teacher can ensure middle leaders
articulate school values and moral principles – and how they do that?
The school in question is a Church of England School and I
did initially wonder whether being a faith school might mean a greater focus on moral purpose,
however, the Head is quick to point out that the school is "informed but
not bound by its Christian foundation" and is an inclusive community.
Staff and students are encouraged to consider their contributions to society
and own moral purpose, something that I believe will be an asset to them both
in school but also in wider society.
The Head states that "if students believe the teachers
have their interests at heart, they will understand that it is in their interests
to behave well, so the teachers will not have to waste time on crowd control.
That makes exciting teaching a lot easier to achieve." I would agree that
student beliefs and clearly linked to their behaviour. The account of practice
does not address the issue of parental engagement though and I would
hypothesise that if the school were in a deprived area where the values and
moral principles of parents differed significantly from the school ethos there
would be a greater difficulty getting students to engage with it.
The school values and moral principles have to be an ongoing
and constant part of school practice and even once they may seem to be embedded
the whole school still needs to keep working on it as the process is never
actually 'finished'. It would be very easy, as the Head states, to see it as a
'tick box' to be completed for the purpose of Ofsted, it is worth remembering
that schools have not only an academic responsibility towards their students
but also a responsibility for ensuring that they leave school able to function
within (and make a contribution to) society.
It is admirable that the school suggest that the SLT should
be modelling the school values and moral principles by showing caring behaviour
to both staff (considering their wellbeing) and students, as well as placing
student interests at the heart of any decisions that are made. The recognition of the contribution and impact
of middle leaders is also interesting. Discussions are held with middle leaders
regarding changes (and a consensus is reached) because the Head recognises that
one of the best ways for an initiative to be successful is for it to be led by
the middle leaders. This can sometimes be forgotten and lead to an 'us and
them' culture between SLT and the rest of the school. I sincerely hope that if
I am presented with the opportunity to move up in terms of management and
leadership I am able to remember the pressures that anyone who is 'just' a
classroom teacher faces on a daily basis and that I remember that without
teaching and learning (and the teachers that deliver this) a school is nothing.
The whole school focus is set out at interview for new staff
who are then given informal mentoring on arrival. If an issue occurs with a
member of staff departing from the shared values of the school the Head
describes how he would set out the expectations and explain how individuals had
departed from them, he notes that this shouldn't
be a surprise for the individual if the shared values have been modelled well
enough. This is something I feel would be worth doing if I became involved in
the recruitment and retention of staff.
I would agree with the Head that 'shared values' and 'moral
purpose' are incredibly difficult to quantify . It is possible to get the
'feel' of a school by spending even just a day there as the morals and values
of staff and students are often visible in day to day interactions and in how
middle leaders lead and interact with their teams.
What can you take from this account of
practice that will help you to articulate through the leadership of your team
your school’s values and moral principles?
ACTION POINTS:
1. Share the belief that if students know their teachers have
their best interests at heart they will understand that it is in their best
interests to work well
2. Recognise and remember the significance of the
contribution of teachers and middle leaders in introducing and embedding new
initiatives
3. Whilst the task of articulating school values and
moral principles is never finished it is worth taking a step back and viewing
your school from the perspective of an outsider in order to consider whether
you (as a collective) have been successful.
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