HMC Aspiring Heads’ Programme

I’m working through the final elements of the HMC Aspiring Heads’ Programme.

‘There is no other role like Headship’, Mark Mortimer tells us in the Module 6 webinar. It’s quite inspiring to hear the stories of current heads who have been where me and the other participants have been; it takes time to secure a Headship, and the application and interview process can be lengthy and complicated. Like any job application, it can be draining on you and those in your life; the prospect of moving to a new part of the country (or world), the potential of taking on a large-scale organisation (potentially for the first time), inheriting a team you didn’t appoint, getting to grips with the financial and legal complexities. It is reassuring to hear that the process of securing a first headship is not straightforward; securing the first headship on the first application seems less likely. We should not be dispirited; I am more dispirited that fewer of us want to become heads. The role is changing, and the demands on the role due to the changing nature of the sector are probably make this role one we taken a second thought about.

Job applications aside, why be a head? It’s been a thread throughout the programme as with less confidence in moving to the role there is a greater need to reflect on why we make the leap. Why would I make the leap? In my current role as Senior Deputy Head I have gotten stuck into the compliance and operational life of the school; having been an executive leader in two MATs I enjoyed the scale of multiple schools, focusing on the arts and music and being able to dip in and out of a range of schools and projects. I realised how much I missed school life, the day to day, when I returned to a SLT role in one school. You become immersed in all facets of school life, and can play a key role in not only the operational life but the future of the school. As I enter the third year of my Senior Deputy, I’m feeling increasingly confident of my grasp of the various regulatory and compliance functions that underpin an independent school. It’s an endless dance making the operational and strategic work together, and this was a big discussion topic at a recent HMC conference where I spoke on professional learning.

So, why would I want to be a head? So much of the webinar focused on the due diligence one needs to do when assessing a potential headship and the conversations revealed that there are so many factors to consider when making the case for a role. Recruitment agencies, governors, trustees etc. And the need to understand not just the educational situation and challenges but also the financial and potential M&A activity. The conversations revealed that the fit of the head and the school is a nuanced and complex one; we should not be disheartened when we don’t reach the shortlist or if we are interviewed we do not secure the role.

So why would I want to be a head? I care deeply for education of children and young people. I would not have remained in education for 23 years without that enthusiasm and commitment to the difference a high-quality education can make to children. Music is a remarkable subject to teach; I get to make music! But why continue the leadership journey beyond my subject towards leading an organisation and its totality? I think probably because I love leading and working with people; I love enabling the conditions where staff can be their best selves. My experiences of coaching have probably inspired this, and it was good to hear the suggestions in the Module 6 webinar that coaching is a good thing. I agree. I’ve had lots of positive experiences of being coached, and enjoyed dipping my toe into some coaching in a small way on my own leadership journey.

I love schools. It’s probably why I’ve been a serial governor and enjoyed being in a governor in all the sectors. Governance is a big part of the head’s role, and the relationship between the board and the head is a vital one for the success of the school. Having been on so many boards, and worked with a range of professionals from different sectors and industries, it has helped developed my capacity to work with boards well. I hope. I developed my own skills as a Chair by completed the NGA programme for Chairs, and having been a Chair and been on a range of committees I have gained an insight into some good practices and that can be impactful. Most importantly I’ve learned a lot about what boards want to know, see and understand; papers are time-consuming to create, and getting these right so governors can challenge and question the work is vital. Being a charity trustee on boards for non-school organisations has been inspiring, too; putting myself in places where I am not an expert but can learn more has enabled developed my confidence to communicate and challenge with clarity.

I have been so lucky to be part of national initiatives, such as the National Plan for Music Education as well as a range of professional bodies (for assessment, for teaching, for art and design educators, for music educators, for musicologists, in livery companies, for curriculum) and the learning is wondrous. Though the challenge of working at these scales is in how one navigates the journey from system-wide thinking to the hyper-local of an individual school. The role of the head enables, as Mark was putting in the webinar, to dance between the outside and the inside; the outside is overwhelming with change and future-thinking that can dwarf the demands of the day to day and the immediacy of school life. We need to keep an eye to the future whilst ensuring the now works well. Systems work felt at a very different pace; working on projects and policy for years ahead, not resolving a parent issue for tomorrow or considering a recruitment problem for the next term.

With the outside and inside, the relationship with the board, and the financial and regulatory challenges (not to mention the external scrutiny) aside, headship is still hugely appealing. After 23 years my vision for an education is clearer than ever; I care deeply about the staff that enable the education (my time as President of the Chartered College secured that feeling), I care deeply for children and young people to experience the wonders of creativity (and arts and culture more widely) but I also recognise the value of a rich education in a range of disciplines and ideas. I enjoy being polymath-like in my interests, and I’m grateful to the teachers I’ve had throughout my own education that have inspired me to be interested in the world and interested in people and ideas. I hope to be a head that makes that possible for others.