Full Description
Authentic School Improvement for Authentic Leaders charts a full improvement journey of a school from a 'Requires Improvement' Ofsted rating, through a second, to a resounding 'Good'. It reveals the impact that a school leader can have on the motivation and engagement of teachers, parents and pupils and how this translates not just to their overall happiness, but on academic standards and systemic, long-lasting school improvement whilst maintaining their own well-being.
Bringing together a wide range of accessible and relatable school improvement practices, the chapters cover all aspects of school leadership, from operational systems to academic standards and staff morale to pupil numbers. Full of strategies, takeaways, observations and anecdotes, the book illustrates that being authentic and leading with integrity is possible for all and provides tangible results that may support positive Ofsted outcomes but are not driven by them.
Including a Foreword by Ross Morrison McGill, this is essential reading for all headteachers and senior leaders in primary and secondary, mainstream and specialist, maintained and academy schools.
Contents
1. External drivers: Impact of neo-liberalism on schools over 40 years 2. Gaining situational awareness: The creation of the 'to-do list' 3. Barriers to success: Why do people become headteachers? 4. Most likely and most dangerous: Expectation and worst-case scenario 5. From external drivers to internal drive: Why we persist, and we must persist! 6. Constraints and limitations: What hurdles must be overcome to ensure success? 7. Implied and specified tasks: Who tells us what we need to do and how? 8. Revising the main effort: Taking stock and resetting the collective focus 9. Choosing the most effective strategy: Right people, resources, outcome! 10. The messy business of human resources: Managing staff, the basics 11. Coordinating the moving parts: Project management for improvement 12. Building culture: How, what and why 13. Financial considerations: The full Monty 14. Academic considerations: Systematic, routine, research-based 15. Warts and all: The messy business of complaints 16. All good now: The world of possibility!
