This article explores a school improvement initiative spanning 15 years – offering practical insights for educators who want to see lasting change in their own schools.
It challenges the "quick-fix" mentality often seen in educational change and advocates for a long-term perspective driven by effective leadership.
Instead of focusing on temporary solutions, the article argues for a long-term approach driven by strong leadership in several key aspects.
- It emphasises the value of initiatives that become part of a school's identity, fostering a culture of growth.
- It offers a clear road-map for effective leadership, outlining steps like problem-solving, planning, implementation, progress tracking, and adaptation.
- The article champions shared leadership, where everyone with leadership roles contributes to improvement initiatives.
- Ultimately, this focus on lasting change helps schools avoid wasted effort, promotes continuous learning, empowers staff, and leads to greater overall effectiveness.
As a school leader, I know how important it is to see real, lasting change. By shifting focus from short-term fixes to sustainable strategies, leaders can create a culture of continuous learning and empowerment.
Building leaders, keeping leaders: A case study in sustainability
Claremont High School Academy, a once-small suburban school founded nearly 100 years ago, has blossomed into a thriving multi-specialist academy for more than 2,500 students aged 11 to 19.
This case study dives into a specific programme created to tackle a leadership challenge. Many mid-level leaders were indicating that they wanted to give up their roles due to heavy workloads and a perceived lack of growth opportunities. The Associate Leadership Programme (ALP) emerged as a solution.
ALP functioned as a comprehensive support system for aspiring leaders. It mirrored an established government training programme by offering targeted training and development before leaders applied for formal roles.
Additionally, participants gained practical experience by shadowing current leaders and working on projects. This allowed them to learn the ropes without the immediate pressure of being in charge.
Finally, ALP helped current leaders by providing them with support from aspiring leaders, easing their workload burdens.
This work first began more than 20 years ago when mid-level leaders dealing with student wellbeing felt overwhelmed and stuck in their roles. A review conducted by Investors in People (IIP) confirmed this, but also highlighted that these leaders actually cared deeply about the school.
The school leaders realised they needed to make some changes.
Inspired by a conversation about how civil servants are prepared for promotion opportunities, they created the first iteration of the ALP. This programme helped people who wanted to become leaders by giving them:
- Targeted training focused on the specific skills needed for leadership roles.
- Development opportunities – the chance to learn from experienced leaders and try out leadership tasks.
- Practical experience – opportunities to shadow current leaders (to see what the job is really like).
This approach offered three benefits:
- Identifying staff with leadership potential.
- Tailoring development to address specific needs for further training or experience.
- Providing practical opportunities to hone leadership skills in real-world situations.
One of the first things the school did was change its CPD programme to ensure there were opportunities for people who wanted to be leaders to get hands-on experience.
Temporary "associate" positions were created in the student wellbeing team. This allowed people to try out leadership without a full-time commitment and it also supported existing leaders who were feeling overloaded.
The ALP was a big success. It started by focusing on student wellbeing leaders, but then was expanded to include other leadership roles, all the way up to the position of associate headteacher.
This case study shows that listening to staff concerns and creating a clear path for leadership development can be a winning combination. By providing targeted training and practical experience, the school was able to address the root causes of leader dissatisfaction and build a strong leadership team for the future.
How ALP works on the ground
The ALP training is a two-year intensive programme with a focus on on-going review and development. Funding for the programme is determined annually, along with decisions about which existing associate positions will continue.
Throughout the programme, associates are assigned a “sponsor” who plays a vital role in their training and support. Sponsors can be members of the school's leadership team, pastoral deputies, or heads of subject. Associate leadership (AL) posts are fixed-term for two years and come with a flat, non-pensionable remuneration of £1,000.
To ensure continuous improvement, the programme incorporates a rigorous review process. This includes regular meetings with the sponsor to discuss skills development and address training needs. There is a meeting with the headteacher at the end of the first term to review the role and address any concerns or developments related to performance and skill development.
Mid-year written reviews are conducted by both the associate and their sponsor, followed by an end-of-year review involving the associate, sponsor, headteacher, and any relevant senior staff.
Progression to the second year of the programme is contingent on meeting the agreed objectives. Associates who fail to meet the standards expected for their current role or those required for an emerging leadership position may be withdrawn from the programme at any point.
The programme itself is constantly evolving to reflect the changing needs of the school and the associates.
Key outcomes
More than 70 staff have gone through the ALP, most of them moving into leadership roles across different departments and even senior positions.
The programme created clear paths for advancement for aspiring leaders, proving adaptable to different needs and helping them to develop a wide range of skills.
Inspectors and external reviewers have consistently praised the positive impact of strong leadership on student progress and the school's ability to keep improving.
We've also seen a strong plan in place to replace retiring staff from within the school, reducing the need to hire from outside. The programme has fostered a supportive environment where people can try new things and learn from each other, giving them a confidence boost.
Overall, the ALP is a good example of how investing in leadership training over time can grow talent and empower staff. The results? Less turnover among mid-level leaders, clear paths for promotion, a wider range of staff with strong leadership skills, and an expanded programme that now includes senior leadership roles. Here's what we learned:
- Listen to what your staff needs and address their concerns to keep them engaged and happy in their jobs.
- Formal training programmes that give people a chance to use their skills in real situations are a great way to develop leaders.
- Investing in your future leaders is an investment in the long-term success of your school.
Important principles
All those years ago, the school leaders took a risk by trusting feedback from an outside review (Investors in People). This trust allowed them to create opportunities within the ALP for aspiring leaders to gain practical experience.
Professional development programmes were revamped as mentioned above to focus more on training middle and senior leaders, targeting specific staff identified for leadership roles. Other key principles include:
- Strategic resource allocation: Considers both the school's most pressing CPD needs and the ALP’s goals for leader development, ensuring alignment with available resources.
- Dedicated mentorship: Pairs aspiring leaders with experienced mentors, with senior leaders personally guiding those aiming for senior roles. This ensures on-going support and high-level investment in future leadership.
- Structured development programme: Guarantees clear focus for aspiring leaders through well-defined elements: fixed programme lengths, mutually agreed goals and expectations, and diverse experiences across different age groups.
The key to this successful leadership development programme was a well-organised approach, including focusing resources on the school's needs, designing the programme with clear goals in mind, providing dedicated mentors for support, and regularly checking progress to make sure it was working.
Robust review and evaluation
The ALP places a high value on regular check-ins and assessments to make sure it is on the right track and helping develop future leaders. Here's how it is done:
- Multiple reviews:There are regular meetings with mentors, reviews by the school principal, and detailed check-ins at the programme's midpoint and end. This ensures feedback from different people, like mentors, the principal, and other school leaders.
- Clear goals and consequences:Everyone involved knows what is expected from the beginning, both in terms of goals and performance. If someone is not meeting the standards, there might be consequences, which helps keep everyone on track.
- Adapting to needs:The programme can be adjusted based on what the school needs and what the participants say is working or not working. Open communication is key to building trust and making sure everyone is fully engaged.
Lessons learned and warnings
Key lessons from this project and which you might consider when trying to optimise your own leadership initiatives include:
- Do: Select participants for potential and programme fit. Offer support and clear expectations.
- Do: Be flexible with opportunities and mentorship. Motivate intrinsically.
- Don't: Force participation or over-promise careers.
- Don't: Create entitlement or lose sight of leadership goals.
- Don't: Neglect mentor involvement or rely solely on financial rewards.
- Terry Molloy has had more than 35 years of leadership experience in secondary schools across England. He was headteacher of an inner-city secondary school for 20 years. He has held diverse leadership roles including as a Local and National Leader in Education, a Pupil Premium reviewer, and director of the London Leadership Strategy. He is currently completing a doctorate at Bristol University. You can contact him via terrymolloy7@hotmail.com
Further reading
- Fullan: Leading change: Strategies for whole-school success, Corwin Press, 2005.
- MacBeath: Leadership as distributed: A matter of practice, Educational Leadership (73,1), 2015.