The DCSF have published research into what makes for effective leadership in schools, it’s very standards focused, but there are messages that readers of this blog may find useful.
Ethos, Behaviour and PSHE
One of the lessons highlighted in the executive summary is that:
In schools in more challenging contexts, heads give greater attention to establishing, maintaining and sustaining school wide policies for pupil behaviour, motivation and engagement, teaching standards, the physical environments, improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and establishing cultures of care and achievement.
I thought this was interesting because of the importance of school ethos in drug prevention activities that schools can play. The paper goes on to expand on the point:
One of the first key strategies implemented in the early phase was the formation of a cohesive, whole school behaviour plan which worked alongside a strong pastoral care system and a focus on having a calm atmosphere.
Behaviour, establishing a calm atmosphere around school and focusing on the ethos, really beginning to pull together with the whole school ethos, it was really beginning to embed itself in that time. (4DHT2-5)This behaviour policy was implemented alongside a strong PHSE programme and an emphasis on emotional well-being. The Healthy School Award also impacted on behaviour.
Relationship with Parents
Another issue highlighted in the report is the relationship with parents:
Effective leaders continuously seek to engage parents and the wider community as active allies in improving pupil outcomes. This is especially the case with heads of schools which serve disadvantaged communities.
Reading the report one of the things that struck me was the different perceptions of the impact that parental involvement in pupils learning between primary and secondary headteachers.
As the chart shows (click on it to see a larger version) primary school headteachers are more likely to see a positive impact from parental involvement in learning.
This seems important to me because there is an increasing desire to see parents involved in drug education. The government in it’s response to the review of drug education carried out last year said:
Revised guidance to schools and FE Colleges will set out a clear expectation that parents are informed about the timing and content of drug and alcohol education focusing on what is expected to be covered and when, and giving parents clear information about how they can best support messages about drugs and alcohol.
If this is to be done well (and Blueprint showed us how difficult that is) headteachers in secondary schools need to believe that it will make a difference to their pupils, and consequently that the school should put effort into making it happen.
Significantly 26.7% of secondary headteachers who had 5 years in their schools identified low engagement of parents in pupils’ learning as a major challenge, ahead of pupil motivation (23%), poor facilities (21.3%), recruiting teachers (20.7%), and disadvantages of intake (18.5%).
This did fall, to 11.9% of headteachers who’d had been in post for 10 years.
Original source : http://www.drugeducationforum.com/blog/?ArticleID=…
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