As we have been developing BST, we have been in continual discussions with school leaders and school leadership teams. These discussions have been a fantastic learning opportunity for us, allowing us to cater the BST process for the leaders it is intended for.
For school leaders and teams that are not yet involved with BST, here are some recent discussions we’ve been having.
Some current discussion with school leadership teams…
Children Will Tell You As It Is
Not sure about your thoughts here, but we are finding that perhaps the best source of evidence about the effectiveness of the curriculum is the pupils themselves.
Through carefully selected questions, we can test out the design and sequence of curriculum planning, how well the teaching is influencing the learning and how well pupils are acquiring skills and knowledge. If we also think carefully about the sample of pupils we talk to, we can secure a robust evidence base.
Empowerment or Delegation
If we want to ensure that fellow leaders are empowered, do we provide them with the tools they need to carry out the activities? This will include actual pro forma for capturing thinking/evidence, time to carry out the work, links with others, as well as many other aspects.
Directly related to this will be the professional development offer. So, a key question will be to what extent this provision supports colleagues? More specifically, are faculty/subject/curriculum leaders well supported in their monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum?
Leadership Culture
Leaders are rightly spending more time reflecting on the culture of leadership in their setting. This is about the culture they aspire to and what is evident currently. Linking to earlier thoughts in this article, do we want to empower fellow leaders? If so, then we might want to explore a ‘leadership – leadership’ model as opposed to a ‘leadership – follower’ one.
Do colleagues feel empowered to offer alternative approaches? Are they expected to challenge decision making? How is consensus arrived at – perhaps not simply the majority wins, but making sure we agree and reach the right decision?
We would love to hear your thoughts on these aspects too, so do get in touch to let us know!
You can also join the discussion on LinkedIn.