Theoretically, schools are operating in a time of almost unparalleled freedom. SATs have been abolished for some time at KS3. Ofsted has been clear that it doesn’t require any particular style of marking or teaching during inspections.
Schools can create their own assessment systems in order to best meet the needs of their students, free from national curriculum levels.
It’s a freedom that many would have thought impossible when I started teaching over a decade ago, yet research by LKMco suggests that many school leaders aren’t equipped to flourish in this new, more school-led system. Different viewpoints are needed, and leaders must avoid recruiting in their own image.
The first team I managed had about 10 people in it. All were older and more experienced than me, and hardly shared my worldview or approaches to life and teaching. At first, I found this frustrating and wondered why they couldn’t just see things the way I did. Surely it was obvious? If they just did things the way I wanted, without wasting time debating, we could achieve things much quicker and turn the department around like we needed to.
But as I got to know my team more, I realised that this difference was actually a strength and asset to my leadership. One colleague’s methodical approach meant I didn’t have to worry as much about some of the more administrative parts of the role. Another could see my vision, but was able to diplomatically step in when she thought I was going off on a flight of fancy.
Later, as a senior leader, I remember a line management meeting with the head where we talked about how he’d assembled his team. I noted how we were all very different in personality and approach, and he said that this was entirely deliberate. He needed people to make him think and challenge him, but we didn’t all need to be the same. What mattered to him was our value system. That’s what he hired us for.
Diversity is quite the buzzword at the moment, typically associated with the idea of employing more women or ethnic minorities. As somebody who ticks both those boxes that’s obviously important to me, and I wholeheartedly support grass-roots movements like #WomenEd and #BAMEed, which are seeking to address deficiencies in school leadership in these areas. However, it’s entirely possible to hire in such a way that schools are run by groups of people who might look different on the surface, but are exactly the same in how they think. And that’s a dangerous thing.
The best school leaders invite and appreciate diversity of thought to discourage groupthink and continue growth. They encourage senior team meetings where challenge, question and debate are valued. They create a school environment where all members of the school community feel they can question the current course and make constructive suggestions. They cultivate a governing body that acts as true critical friends, rather than rubberstamping ‘yes (wo)men’.
Iesha Small is an experienced teacher and leader associate at LKMco
