posted on 08 December 2009 05:52
Mailed in from good friend CT:
A muse on headship:
Why do I want to be a Head? To maximise the positive impact that I can have on the lives of our children.
Is this achieable? Yes
What is needed for it to be achieved? An enthusiastic, open minded (preferably creative)staff prepared to put in a professional shift. Reasonable governors. The people to whom I report to to posess vision and emotional intelligence, so as to enable a widespread emergence of the practices needed to make learning meaningful and effective for learners. These practices exist, they just need recognising and the process by which they become the norm managed.
What is the reality of being a Head?
50 % of the working day is spent on administration, beaurocracy and dealing with the lack of vision and emotional inteligence of the people to whom I report, including OFSTED. The other 50% on maximising my positive impact on childrens lives.
The result?
You get half the creativity and flare you could have got and the Heads who achieve everything that is expected have to be incredibly driven, and burn out.
Do I have what it takes to be a successful head? Yes
Do I want to do it regardless of the personal cost? Mmmm, still undecided as yet, but it is not a decision you can take lightly. Let you know when I make up my mind, probably somewhere around the year 2025.
Note to policy makers:
Let our headteachers thrive. Free them up to fully life the passion that brought them into education. Help them bring their dedication to bear on enriching children's lives, not measuring their heights. Let them do their job. Let them lead.