"Excellent leadership is inclusive. It involves a wide range of people within the school, including pupils, who lead on different aspects of the school’s work. The most effective leadership will always focus on improving children’s learning as its key priority."7
Relevant quality indicators: QI 9.2 Leadership and direction and QI 9.4 Leadership of improvement and change
"I have a dream. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today."
Martin Luther King, 28th August 1963, Washington, USA.
Leadership for learning operates at a number of different levels within Scottish education.
Leading learning: education authorities
HMIE identified some examples of very good practice within education authorities in promoting diversity and tackling aspects of sectarianism.
As a result of research into sectarianism, the Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council was involved in setting up a multi-agency group to manage the project Sense Over Sectarianism. A key responsibility of Sense Over Sectarianism was to distribute lottery funding among projects challenging racism and sectarianism in the Glasgow area. The management group included representatives from the City Council, the two main football clubs, the Church of Scotland, the Catholic Church and Nil By Mouth.
In 2004, Glasgow City Council with the support of the Scottish Executive, appointed the coordinator of Sense Over Sectarianism to a post within Education Services. She was responsible for providing professional development on approaches to combating sectarianism to over 400 headteachers. The coordinator worked closely with a number of schools to support their work in challenging sectarianism. Sense Over Sectarianism coordinated the development of resources by providing literacy packs for primary and secondary schools. The coordinator had strong links with several local and national organisations which she helped to plan, develop and deliver anti-sectarian strategies. These activities enabled staff in schools to develop their confidence in taking forward innovative practice in promoting diversity.
HMIE’s report on the education functions of Glasgow City Council noted the strong lead the council had given in supporting and celebrating diversity and in addressing priorities in promoting racial equality. School inspection evidence has indicated that primary pupils, in particular, have responded positively to imaginative initiatives aimed at reducing racism and sectarianism.
North Lanarkshire Council has carried out an audit of practice in anti-sectarianism across schools with the aim of identifying the range of practice across the authority and strengths and areas for development in the approaches adopted. The Equal Opportunities Support Officer in South Lanarkshire Council offered a Challenging Sectarianism session as part of staff’s continuing professional development. She organised witness sessions drawn from best practice in the authority to promote approaches to anti-sectarianism.
Leading learning: schools
In Glendale Primary School, Glasgow, senior managers played a key role in fostering the warm and welcoming atmosphere. The headteacher actively promoted a strong ethos of achievement for all pupils. She had led the development of the anti-racist policy which ensured that the promotion of racial equality was integrated into all aspects of the curriculum. The school’s anti-racist programme was used by the education authority as an example of best practice. A strong sense of equality and fairness permeated all aspects of the school’s work. Assemblies were used very effectively both for religious observance and to celebrate religious diversity. They were also used to develop pupils’ citizenship skills. All teachers, pupil support assistants, visiting teachers and senior managers displayed a very strong commitment to improving pupils’ learning experiences and ensuring that they contributed to their development as responsible citizens. Pupils at P4 to P7 confidently identified examples of the ways in which human rights can be infringed. By P7, pupils had a well-developed understanding of racism and were able to identify ways in which they could combat discrimination in their everyday experiences. The school had been very successful in establishing an inclusive ethos based on the values of equal opportunities for all.
St Michael’s Primary School, Dumfries and Galloway, included its work on anti-sectarianism in the school improvement plan and linked it both to improving behaviour and to celebrating the diversity of its pupils. At every stage in the development, staff informed the School Board and parents of improvements in equality and fairness and support for behaviour. Their work was included in the don’t give it, don’t take it resource.8
"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird
"Oh wad some power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us, An foolish notion…"
Robert Burns To A Louse
Issues to consider |
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Signposts for improvement |
Fosters high quality leadership at all levels.
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