Managing the Primary School

Mrs Joan Dean, Joan Dean

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2002
• Print ISBN: 9781138418554
• eBook ISBN: 9781134830169
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This new edition of Managing the Primary School brings up-to-date the consideration of the tasks and skills of the headteacher which was a feature of the first edition. Like the first edition, this book deals with all aspects of the headteacher's role, including a discussion of the changing relationships with parents and governors, and an examination of the headteacher's involvement with marketing the school and controlling its finances. Each chapter looks at a particular group of skills and tasks which are a part of the management role. Joan Dean takes into account the implications of the Education Reform Act and the National Curriculum and includes accounts of recent research, concentrating in particular on studies of effective schools. This book will be invaluable to all headteachers as well as other senior staff, advisors and consultants working in primary schools.

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Chapter 1

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Leadership and management

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There is now a good deal of evidence to confirm the view that in any school the leadership determines the quality of what happens (e.g. Fullan and Stiegelbauer 1991, Mortimore et al. 1988). It is, of course, possible to find excellent teachers in indifferent schools, but unusual to find work of quality taking place throughout the school unless the headteacher and others in larger schools are offering appropriate leadership.

In a small school the headteacher’s leadership may be sufficient to influence the whole school, but as the school grows larger there is a need for good leadership at other levels and the overall quality depends upon the ability of the headteacher to delegate and the ability of other teachers to lead their colleagues. There is a sense in which all teachers have some managerial responsibilities. Teachers manage children in the classroom. They also take part in management activities if the school works on the basis of involving the whole staff in making major decisions.

The small size of primary schools in comparison with secondary schools makes it possible for good headteachers to lead by example. They are very much members of the staff team and are in daily contact with all the staff in a way which is impossible in the average secondary school. They are able to influence incidentally throughout the day and draw the staff together as a team, which if they are skilled and fortunate, will help to create a common vision of where the school is going which inspires everyone’s work and gives it coherence. It is this opportunity to work as a team which has created some of the most excellent primary schools.

Alexander defined successful primary headteachers as ‘those who remained in close touch with classroom realities and teachers’ everyday concerns, who valued and developed individual staff potential and encouraged collective decision making’ (Alexander 1992 149).

Some outstanding primary headteachers can almost instinctively create a team and help it to function, just as a few outstanding teachers work instinctively and need little training. However, most people are less gifted and need to learn some of the skills involved in leadership and management if they are to fulfil their potential as headteachers or as leaders at other levels in the school.

It is also easy when a school is small to feel that there is no need for systems for managing its affairs. The Department for Education (DFE) paper Good management in small schools makes the point that:

Planning is no less important in a primary school of 30 pupils than in a secondary school of 1,300. Indeed in some ways the smaller the school, the more important it is to stand back and ensure that there is a clear line of vision of direction, responsibilities and priorities.

(DFE 1993:4)

Leadership and management in schools today are not easy. The legislation of the past few years has increased the load of headteachers and senior staff very significantly and they are under pressure from many sources. There are unending demands upon time and energy and there are times when the load is very heavy. Fortunately there are other times when things seem to go well and a headteacher can begin to feel that his or her work has actually made a difference to the way staff develop children’s learning.

Being a leader means knowing where one is going and working to achieve a shared vision with colleagues. Beare et al. describe this as:

A mental picture of a preferred future—which is shared with all the school community and which shapes the programme for learning and teaching as well as policies, plans and procedures pervading the day to day life of the school.

(Beare et al. 1989:100)

Fullan and Hargreaves make the point that:

Vision building should be a two way street where heads learn as much as they contribute to others…. The head’s visions should be provisional and open to change. They should be part of the collaborative mix. The authority of the head’s views should not be presumed because of whose views they are but because of their quality and richness…. Collaboration means creating the vision together, not complying with the head’s own.

(Fullan and Hargreaves 1991:119–20, 123)

The vision must be about children learning. This is the first and most important aim for all schools. All other aspects of the school are subsidiary to this. The appearance of the school and the classrooms, the structure of the staffing, the way the money is spent are all means to this end and this needs to be kept clearly in everyone’s mind.

A headteacher and some senior members of staff in larger primary schools are also managers. Being a manager means getting things done which lead to the realisation of the vision through and with other people. One criterion by which managers might be judged is their effectiveness in delegating tasks and enabling others to carry them to a successful conclusion. Alexander (1992) describing the the Leeds Primary Needs Programme noted that in a number of schools the head’s vision of education was very different from the reality within the school. This suggests that it is important for staff to work together to achieve the overall vision of the school and to consider together how it is to be achieved.

The word ‘manager’ used in the context of education is comparatively new. Yet it is in many ways descriptive of what is involved. Good management means accepting people and resources as they are and helping them to develop and work together to agreed ends. The skilled manager looks for ways in which the interests and abilities of each individual can contribute to the good of the whole and he or she tries to create an organisation and a climate in which this can happen.

There is a good deal known about management which has relevance for schools. Fayol (1949), a mining engineer, suggested that management had five elements—forecasting and planning, organisation, command, coordination and control. He also pointed out that there are two kinds of authority: that which derives from the office held and that which derives from personal ability and experience; both are needed for successful management. Authority is the power to issues instructions and obtain compliance with them. Responsibility automatically rests where authority is exercised.

This is evident and relevant in schools. As headteacher you have authority in the simple sense (defined above) because of the office you hold, but your effectiveness depends a good deal on your personal experience and abilities.

There is a built-in responsibility for others in any management role, which in schools is not only a supervisory responsibility, but essentially a responsibility for supporting the people for whom one is responsible. The DFE paper quoted above suggests that schools need a management framework:

A management framework is a defined set of relationships and responsibilities within an organisation. It establishes accountability and provides clarity for individuals within the organisation by answering the basic questions of ‘who does what?’ and ‘who is responsible for what?’

(DFE 1993:7)

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP?

Headteachers of primary schools are very often appointed because they have been successful classroom teachers. Those appointing headteachers generally look for good thinking about primary education along with appropriate skill and experience as a teacher and some experience of leading adults.

Being a good leader and manager in school or elsewhere is more than being good at the job being managed. You may be an excellent classroom teacher but this does not automatically mean that you will be a good headteacher. Skill in the classroom may at first win the respect of other staff but unless you acquire skill in leading a group of adults, this respect will be dissipated all too rapidly.

Caldwell and Spinks (1988:31) list the following qualities of leadership in a headteacher who:

• enables the sharing of duties and resources to occur in an efficient manner
• ensures that resources are allocated in a manner consistent with educational needs
• is responsive to and supportive of the needs of teachers
• encourages staff involvement in professional development programmes and makes use of the skills teachers acquire in these programmes
• has a high level of awareness of what is happening in the school
• establishes effective relationships with the Education Department [the Local Education Authority], the community, teachers and students
• has a flexible administrative style
• is willing to take risks
• provides a high level of feedback to teachers
• ensures that a continual review of the school programme occurs and that progress towards goals is evaluated.

(Caldwell and Spinks 1988:31)

All leaders have to live with other people’s view of their role. Everyone connected with the school will have ideas about what you ought to do and they will exert pressure on you to conform to their expectations.You have to reconcile these views with your own view of your role, remembering that initially confidence is engendered when a person behaves in expected ways.

You need to select carefully the issues over which you are prepared to take unusual and sometimes unpopular steps. It is not a sign of strength to insist when everyone is passionately opposed to what is being suggested. It often means that those concerned spend a great deal of time grumbling when they might be doing something more positive. The art is to select the time when there is enough going for an innovation to allow it to succeed. This is discussed in more detail in the chapter on managing change.

The ability to lead is not just a quality of personality which you either do or do not possess, although some people have achieved a great deal because of personal charisma and the vision they set before their followers. Leadership involves performing specific tasks. You may find it easier to perform these tasks if you have certain personal qualities and these qualities may be cultivated to some extent, but it may be more profitable to consider the skills and knowledge needed to perform specific leadership tasks effectively and to concentrate on these. You may well develop appropriate personality traits for the job by cultivating the skills needed to perform the tasks involved.

The style of leadership in primary schools has changed considerably in recent years. The headteacher is no longer expected to carry out the leadership task alone and it is usual for other teachers and very often governors also to be involved in the process of setting goals and creating policies as well as considering how these will be achieved. The size of most primary schools makes it possible to involve most teachers in this kind of discussion and this makes the task of leadership of a primary school rather different from that of a secondary school. This still leaves you as the overall leader but if you involve others in the tasks of management you will be supported by your colleagues who will see many of the decisions as their own. This reduces the pressure on you, and in sharing the tasks of leadership, you are preparing others for the task of leadership in their turn. It is also worth noting that since the human brain can hold only a limited number of ideas at one time, the decision taken by a group is likely to be the result of having considered a larger number of possibilities than the decision taken by an individual.

What do we know about effective leadership in school? The Department of Education and Science paper on school development plans (DES 1991a) notes that the headteacher plays the most important role in getting management right. It suggests that this is likely to be most effective when the headteacher:

• has a mission for the school
• inspires commitment to the school’s mission, and so gives direction and purpose to its work
• coordinates the work of the school by allocating roles and delegating responsibilities
• is actively and visibly involved in planning and implementing change, but…
• is ready to delegate and to value the contribution of colleagues
• is a skilled communicator, keeping everyone informed about important decisions and events
• has the capacity to stand back from daily life in order to challenge what is taken for granted, to anticipate problems and spot opportunities
• is committed to the school, its members and its reputation, but…
• objectively appraises strengths and weaknesses so as to build upon the best of current practices in remedying deficiencies
• emphasises the quality of teaching and learning, lesson by lesson and day by day
• has high expectations of all staff and all students
• recognises that support and encouragement are needed for everyone to give of their best.

There are a number of ways you can view the tasks of management and leadership. The DES booklets on development planning (1989, 1991) stress the need for evaluation or audit, then planning, then action with these three repeated in a cycle each year or more frequently if necessary.

The successful leader supports individuals and makes them feel of value. This involves discussion with members of a team and a policy of encouragement which may be critical in a supportive way. Your encouragement is important to all teachers and other staff as well as to children and it is important to see that everyone who works in the school is encouraged from time to time.

A team is formed of individuals and will be successful only if the individuals learn to work together. Your task is to encourage the feeling of belonging to a team, of mutual trust, support and cooperation.

The support of individuals and of the team is undertaken in order to perform tasks. This gives purpose to the activity and provides criteria for judging success. The overall task for the school is the learning and development of the children.

Charles Handy (1976:96) suggests that there are four sets of influencing factors which a leader must take into consideration:

• The leader’s own preferred style and personal characteristics
• The preferred style of leadership by the subordinates in the light of circumstances
• The task, its objectives and technology
• The environment, the organisational setting, the group and the importance of the task.

He suggests a ‘best fit’ approach with the view that leadership will be most effective when the requirements of the leader, the subordinates and the task fit together.

All researches about effectiveness must start by considering how to define what is effective. The basic criteria are what happens to the children in the school and how well they perform. A great deal is involved in this. As headteacher or senior member of staff you have to work through other people, so effectiveness in this case will also be concerned with ability to manage and motivate people and to organise the work of the school, so that the children achieve as well as possible.

Effective leadership is strongly linked to what is known about effective schools. A good deal of research has been done in this field and most of it stresses the importance of the quality of the leadership. Fullan and Stiegelbauer (1991), for example, identify four factors underlying successful improvement processes in schools. The leadership has a feel for the improvement process and there is a guiding value system, together with a great deal of interaction and collaborative planning and implementation. They suggest that the effective school is one that is ready for change,

Reid et al. (1987:18) describing a school improvement project thought the following eight factors to be characteristic of the effective school:

• curriculum focussed leadership
• supportive climate in the school
• emphasis on curriculum and instruction
• clear goals and high expectation for children
• a system for monitoring performance and achievement
• on-going staff development and in-service
• parental involvement and support
• LEA support

Mortimore et al. (1988) in a study of London junior schools found that the length of time a headteacher had been in post was significant in relation to the effectiveness of the school. Headteachers were at their most effective in their influence on children’s progress when they had been in the school between three and eleven years. Mortimore et al. (1988:248) also found eleven factors associated with a school which is effective not only in terms of children’s achievement but also in terms of their overall development. These were as follows:

1. Purposeful leadership of the staff by the headteacher
2. The involvement of the deputy head [and the extent to which the deputy head enjoys delegated responsibilities]
3. The involvement of the teachers [in the curriculum planning and the overall life of the school]
4. Consistency among teachers [in their approaches]
5. Structured sessions [where there is a framework within which children can work]
6. Intellectually challenging teaching
7. A work-centred environment [in which teachers spent time discussing work with children]
8. A limited focus within sessions
9. Maximum communication between teachers and pupils
10. Record keeping [in which teachers keep written records of each child’s work and progress]
11. Positive climate

Overall the researches seem to suggest that the effective school has an effective headteacher who works collaboratively with the staff, sharing with them a vision of where the school is going and placing emphasis on achievement. Many studies seem to show that the school ‘culture’ is important for effectiveness.

Beare et al. (1989) suggest that the culture of the school can be enhanced in various ways. It is essentially a matter of shared values. They also suggest that a school needs heroes in the life of the school or in society who exemplify the shared values. Shared values may also be experienced in the form of repeated rituals and ceremonies.

Deal describes the culture of an organisation as follows:

Culture is an expression that tries to capture the informal, implicit— often unconscious—side of business or any human enterprise. Although there are many definitions of the term, culture in everyday usage is typically described as ‘the way we do things here’. It consists of patterns of thought, behaviour and artefacts that symbolise and give meaning to the workplace. Meaning derives from the elements of culture; shared values and beliefs, heroes and heroines, ritual and ceremony, stories, and an informal network of cultural players. Effective businesses show a remarkable consistency across these cultural elements.

He goes on to develop this further in relation to schools:

In school [where] diverse expectations, political vulnerability, and the lack of tangible products make values, beliefs and faith crucial in determining success, the development of a solid culture is even more important than it might be in business.

(Deal 1985:608)

A paper by Hallinger and Murphy (1986) suggests that effective North American schools operate differently according to the social background of their children. Schools with children whose background is of high socioeconomic status are s...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Illustrations
• Foreword
• Chapter 1: Leadership and Management
• Chapter 2: The School Development Plan
• Chapter 3: The Children
• Chapter 4: The Curriculum
• Chapter 5: Organisation
• Chapter 6: Managing Change
• Chapter 7: Marketing the School
• Chapter 8: School Administration
• Chapter 9: Managing Children’s Behaviour and Social Education
• Chapter 10: Managing People
• Chapter 11: Skills with People
• Chapter 12: Communication
• Chapter 13: Staff Selection and Professional Development
• Chapter 14: School and Community
• Chapter 15: Evaluation
• Chapter 16: Personal Organisation
• References