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Leadership for learning: The challenges of leading in a time of change

Five  Developing people and partnerships: building leadership capacity

In education, we have a highly-skilled workforce that is engaged directly in delivery or as part of the support infrastructure. Their key focus is on adding value in ways that deliver maximum impact for learners.

In this section, there is a focus on how people and partnerships can be developed in order to build leadership capacity. Previous sections have highlighted the need for leaders to build a strong team around them and to involve staff and learners in key developments. Effective leadership results in a culture that supports and encourages the creativity and leadership potential of each member of staff. Examples are provided of practices that release the potential of staff and learners and develop the characteristics of effective team and partnership working.

In education, we have a highly-skilled workforce that is engaged directly in delivery or as part of the support infrastructure. Their key focus is on adding value in ways that deliver maximum impact for learners. In other words they try to teach well, and care for, nurture and support the young people they are responsible for. This includes creating motivating and stimulating learning and providing good leadership for learning. Effective leadership harnesses energy and capitalises on what people bring to and get from their role. Feeling part of an effective team is a good feeling.

"To achieve the highest standards for pupils and teachers, the headteacher must create the conditions and structures to support and develop effective learning and teaching. She or he achieves this primarily through the leadership and management of others within the school and its community."²¹

No establishment/service can work in isolation. We all operate within a context that involves groups of stakeholders including learners, their families, the broader community, employers, local authorities and funding bodies. All of these groups, and others, have an interest in education and can have something to give to the quality of the learners’ experience. Where this interest develops into an effective partnership, with two or more establishments working together with a common purpose, there can be major contributions to the wellbeing and progress of learners. Partnership working can have a wide range of benefits including learning from others and delivering services in a joined-up way.

Effective leaders build leadership capacity by:

• developing leadership talent experientially, both through modelling and through experience of managing projects;
• providing induction for all new staff at the right time, covering key aspects of the job;
• all staff having access to a full range of appropriate and effective professional development opportunities, including accredited professional development;
• using every opportunity to develop the potential of staff to exercise leadership and to be innovative;
• keeping staff remits under regular review and agreed adjustments made to improve individual and establishment effectiveness and to maintain job satisfaction and motivation; and
• organising processes for staff review, support and supervision which encourage staff to explore their future career paths.

What about developing the leadership skills of learners?

Within the learning community everyone becomes a learner. Across sectors, there is an increasing awareness that students need to be supported to take on leadership responsibilities. This is described in The Journey to Excellence in relation to the dimension that, Values and empowers its staff and young people (pp 93-99). Many learners will have had experience of leading others through activities such as buddying, mentoring or playing a role in a pupil or youth council or as a student representative. The Columba Ambassador Academy²² has been used by a number of schools to develop the leadership potential of targeted pupils and to empower them to take forward initiatives in their own school. Previous sections have included examples of other activities and schemes which are geared to developing aspects of student leadership.

The college sector in England has recently developed an interesting programme called the FE Student Leadership Programme 2006/07. This has been developed by the National Union of Students (NUS) in conjunction with the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL)²³. The programme is aimed at amplifying the voice of learners in the learning and skills sector, and is a three-day residential programme designed specifically around the needs of a student leader and/or students’ union officer in a College. The programme focuses on the development of practical leadership skills through interactive role-play sessions as well as face-to-face and peer-group coaching.

Recognising the leadership skills of learners

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL), based in Nottingham, has developed a number of projects and case studies which are geared to developing the student voice and involving students more actively in improving their learning²⁴. The Networked Learning Communities (NLC) Programme is one of the largest projects involving 135 networks across 90 local authorities in England²⁵. The initiative has involved a number of innovative strategies which are worthy of reflection as we move forward in our thinking about developing and recognising the leadership skills of learners. These include the following:

• encouraging feedback from learners on learning and teaching;
• conferences run by and for young people;
• learner visits to other establishments;
• learners selecting projects to investigate and being involved as researchers and co-researchers;
• learners receiving training and then working as peer mentors, researchers and ambassadors within and between their establishment and across networks;
• involving learners in questions such as, "What does leadership mean to you?";
• learners working collaboratively with adults to co-lead learning;
• inter-visitations or learning walks with other learners and staff, using agreed protocols;
• involving members of councils/forums as ‘VAK detectives’ (looking for examples of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning) on learning walks; and
• developing videos and DVDs to share with other learners.

What do we mean by a learning organisation?

Much has been spoken about learning organisations²⁶ and the manner in which educational establishments should be focusing on developing deep rather than surface learning. Schools, colleges or CLD services that reflect the characteristics of learning organisations tend to:

• focus strongly on improvement;
• provide opportunities for staff to regularly discuss learning and the craft of teaching;
• encourage learning in context;
• recruit, retain and reward people who are committed to the shared vision, values and aims;
• prioritise professional development and invest in training;
• set aside time for regular observations, review meetings and feedback; and
• encourage people to work in teams.

Much has been spoken aboutlearning organisations and the manner in which educational establishments should be focusing on developing deep, rather than surface, learning.

How can staff help learners to become ‘leaders of their own learning’?

A learning organisation creates the conditions where staff have confidence in exercising their initiative and in grasping opportunities to share knowledge and assume responsibility. Such conditions serve to develop the capacity of people and teams to achieve a positive impact on the life of the establishment. Current and future leaders learn with and from others, formally and informally, prompting reflection and change. Modelling and training promotes the conditions through which establishments and services sustain excellence. Leaders strive to provide leadership opportunities for learners to become leaders of their own learning and to become aware of when they are under-performing and not reaching their potential. The kind of activities that are encouraged include:

• clear tracking and target-setting systems which facilitate one-to-one discussions between learner and teacher;
• a range of peer education programmes and activities;
• opportunities for students to be involved in decision-making that affects their learning and working environment;
• programmes to enhance citizenship skills in the establishment and community; and
• opportunities to lead aspects of specific programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, The Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN), Sports Leaders, health-promoting schools and Eco Schools.

We all have a shared responsibility to help people to think of themselves as leaders of learning. In this way we aim to develop:

• a pool of potentially untapped resource;
• effective teachers/tutors who bring benefits to learners;
• an enhanced leadership capacity; and
• vibrancy in the culture.

Don’t forget about culture

Previous sections highlighted the importance of giving staff and learners a sense that collectively, they have ownership of the direction of their own work and the work of the establishment. Inspectors find that confident leaders encourage people to take on a leadership role. This is evidenced by regular opportunities for staff at all levels as well as learners to:

• meet together as a community to review developments;
• tackle identified issues in groups and teams;
• put their ideas into practice;
• engage in fruitful consultations, dialogue and conversations;
• give and receive feedback;
• share best practice both within and outwith the establishment; and
• benefit from coaching.

All staff benefit from opportunities to work with colleagues in other services and partner agencies. Interactive opportunities for joint and interagency training on generic topics such as child protection and anti-discriminatory practice are particularly helpful.

We all need regular opportunities to give and receive feedback

Every member of staff is entitled to receive constructive feedback on how well they are taking forward their work and how they can improve their own performance further. Unfortunately, too many people confuse feedback with criticism. Feedback is valuable to everybody and plays a key role in performance improvement. Leaders need to set an example by encouraging the giving and receiving of feedback as a normal part of working. This can be encouraged at the end of meetings, as part of regular exchanges or more formally through 180° or 360° feedback. Leaders can demonstrate that they are willing to learn and receive feedback from colleagues. This is something that has to be approached sensitively but where there is an open and confident culture it can contribute to better teaching and more effective learning. The development of a coaching culture is something that many establishments are working towards.

When staff receive constructive feedback on their work this exerts a positive influence on the culture. The same is true of learners. The extent of feedback in establishments/services varies and the balance between giving and receiving feedback is usually in favour of the former. It is always helpful to bear in mind three key questions in relation to feedback.

‘Have you given any feedback recently?’
‘Have you received any feedback recently?’
‘Is one outweighing the other and what can you do about it?’

Feedback in the form of coaching and mentoring is an important dimension in building leadership capacity and there are a number of factors that are strongly in favour of effective coaching. This requires training, including the ‘how’ of feedback as well as support and clarity of roles and responsibilities.

Often we find that teams receive little training in effective teamworking yet this is a key aspect for taking forward the priorities of the establishment/service. There are many types of teams. Project teams rely on the effective combining of the skills, knowledge and talents of individuals. People tend to be deployed to roles or responsibilities with due regard given to their key strengths, experience and/or interests. A broad range and balance of skills, knowledge and experience can lead to a highly effective management team. This is reflected in a senior management team that demonstrates collective responsibility in ways that ensure a high level of consistency in learning experiences.

"When you ask people about what it is like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of the experience. People talk about being part of something larger than themselves, of being connected, of being generative. It becomes quite clear that, for many, their experiences as part of truly great teams stand out as singular periods of life lived to the fullest. Some spend the rest of their lives looking for ways to recapture that spirit."²⁷

Team role analysis, using a wide range of tools available, can enable leaders and team members to develop strengths and manage weaknesses within a team. Key questions for any establishment seeking to improve and work more effectively as a learning organisation are, ‘How can we develop teams that produce consistent, high-level results?’ and ‘How do we best create high performing teams?’. The key point here is to set aside time to reflect on effective teamworking and share good practice to effect improvement.

Team role analysis, using a wide range of tools available, can enable leaders and team members to develop strengths and manage weaknesses within a team.

How do we develop fruitful partnerships?

Strong partnerships enable establishments/services to share expertise, resources and good practice. They can help to meet the diverse needs of learners, including the most vulnerable. Partner establishments can:

• share expertise and resources to enable each to meet statutory requirements and learners’ needs that they might not be able to meet working independently;
• facilitate learners’ transitions between education sectors or from education into employment;
• help to widen learners’ opportunities for progression; and
• prepare learners appropriately for further study and, more generally enrich their experiences.

For a partnership to work well, there should be clarity about the competences of each partner and the contribution that each can make. It is important that all staff involved in the work of a partnership are clear about its purpose and objectives. Ongoing dialogue is needed between relevant staff to ensure that the objectives are understood and supported by staff in each of the establishments. The formation of a partnership may result in staff development needs that should be addressed as early as possible. Agreed arrangements should be in place to monitor regularly the progress made on the partnership’s objectives and to evaluate its effectiveness. As relevant information will be shared, it is important that when a partnership is set up, learners and, where appropriate, their families are clear about what information is held about them and with whom it might be shared.

"Staff actively seek feedback from partner agencies and, where needed, change course significantly to benefit pupils. They listen to partners and stakeholders at times suitable to partners and respond to, and do their best to act promptly on, concerns, challenges and contributions."²⁸

Partnership working in the community

A wide range of activities can improve learners’ self-esteem and creative skills and prepare them for their future roles in society. In the best examples, motivated staff actively seek out partnerships that offer opportunities for community involvement. Partnerships vary enormously in size and remit and can be both formal and informal. Potentially, they are a very powerful way of achieving objectives that are beyond the scope of a single establishment working on its own. However, they can be costly both of time and resources if the costs outweigh the benefits. In order to make partnership most effective it is important to invest in making them work well.

The basis of any partnership can set out in a partnership agreement or memorandum of understanding. Such an agreement will include:

• a statement of the guiding principles;
• the strategic aims of the partnership and, where appropriate, more specific strategic objectives;
• the responsibilities of each partner and funding arrangements;
• the names of individuals or post-holders who take responsibility on behalf of each partner; and
• the arrangements for monitoring, evaluation and review.

The best partnerships bring benefits to learners through joint-improvement activities. Strong partnership working adds shared value to work in progress and is responsive to current and anticipated stakeholders’ needs, taking account of the local context. Suitable arrangements ensure coordination of action within the partnership which ensure that progress is monitored regularly and reported. These monitoring arrangements help to avoid the partnership becoming a talking shop.

How does your school develop your leadership skills?

Our teacher uses abbreviations
 - OPV "Other pupils’ views"
 - PMI "Plus, minus, interesting"
 - CAF "Consider all factors"
 - We use these to check each other’s learning

Quotes from pupils aged 10-12

We run the healthy tuck shop — it’s like a mini market and we count the money.

"Squaddies". We go in pairs. We have fluorescent jackets and we look out for younger pupils who are on their own or who might be unhappy. We also have a pack with balls and games that we can play with them. We also supervise the school doors at lunchtime. There is a rota on the wall in the classroom and if we can’t do our duty we swap with someone else.

"There is a school council and we meet to discuss things that are important to us. The council is chaired by a P7 and there are typed up minutes. We discussed what we would like to see in our new school, although we won’t be there when it opens. There are other groups that talk about school lunches and things to do with the playground."

"The head boys and the head girls, together with the house captains, meet every week to discuss school issues. We take responsibility for the agenda, for chairing and for writing and circulating the minutes. The roles are rotated to make sure that we get experience of each one."

Primary-secondary links including junior sports leadership award.

Some quotes from students aged 12-17

"The school’s new tutor system means that all form classes are now made up of pupils from S1 to S6. The seniors have the opportunity to support the junior members of their group and to set a positive example. Some find it easier to do than others and some more training is probably needed."

Leadership for Life award: (Community-based project involving 6-12 pupils)

Involvement in Enterprise topics,e.g. related to St Valentine’s day.

Young Quality Scot award. This is a community project which includes a two-day training course and a follow-up weekend course.

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