School Governor Action checklist: Models of leadership

Action checklist: Models of leadership from National College

Use this checklist to identify suggested short and longer-term actions.

Questions Short-term actions Longer-term actions

Have we considered revising the leadership model for our school for the coming years?

Ask your local authority, and diocese if appropriate, to put you in touch with other schools operating a different leadership model and arrange a visit to share learning and understand experience.

Consider as a school whether formal or informal collaborative leadership structures would make more of your current leadership capacity and offer greater opportunities to those with leadership potential. Use the Yewlands Family of Schools case study on the Innovation Unit website to stimulate discussion.

http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/index/leadershiplibrary/leadingschools/leading-capital-investment-projects/leading-capital-investment-projects-case-studies/yewlands-school.htm

Do we know how one of these models could help us find, develop and keep good headteachers?

Succession planning – key themes for school governors.

Have we considered the benefits, both to us and to others, of extending the responsibility of our headteacher beyond the school?

Discuss with your headteacher the benefits and opportunities for him or her to take on a role beyond the school.

Contact your local authority, and diocese if appropriate, to establish executive headship opportunities in other schools, children’s services and community organisations, and discuss with your headteacher.

Review opportunities for your headteacher to take on a role beyond the school on an annual basis – most likely as part of the performance management process.

Do we know if establishing a jobshare would help encourage interest from leaders who would otherwise not consider a full-time headship role?

Review practicalities of jobshare to understand how it might work in practice.

Diversity in Leadership – building and maintaining equality to review how you can widen the pool of headship candidates.

Consider advertising your next headship vacancy as a potential jobshare as a means of increasing the number of potential applicants.

Ensure ongoing monitoring of applications, shortlists, appointments, training, promotions and leavers to identify potential barriers to headship application or success.

Have we considered collaborating with other schools to help us build on our strengths and tackle shared challenges?

Consider whether joining forces with other local schools might help you meet some of the challenges you face (eg shared CPD programme; shared specialist human resources; broader curriculum offering) as well as offering wider development opportunities for current and potential leaders.

Ask your local authority to put you in touch with schools already in collaboration, to find out how it works; or build on any existing classroom collaborations developed by teachers.

Watch the keynote address by Simon East on The power of networking and collaboration.

http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/index/leadershiplibrary/leadingschools/successionplanning/about-succession-planning/about-succession-planning-video-audio/the-power-of-collaboration-video.htm


Advice from the National College Action Checklist Models of Leadership for Governors

http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/docinfo?id=132944&filename=action-checklist-models-of-leadership-for-governors.pdf