Visual Arts College
Batley Girls' High School
www.batleygirls.co.uk
The Benefits of Co-HeadshipSustaining your school’s achievements and
retaining your successful strategic leaders
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Co-leadership...is a tough-minded strategy that will unleash the hidden talent in any enterprise.
“Above all, co-leadership is inclusive, not exclusive.
It celebrates those who do the real work, not just a
few charismatic often isolated leaders who are regally
compensated for articulating the organisation's vision.”
“Could you leave your ego at the door and become part
of a ruling pair?”
David A. Heenan and Warren Bennis
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Co-Headship, as a new and highly successful
model of headship, is emerging nationally.
Many schools have secured their long term
outstanding practice by developing their
own deputies as co-heads. It speaks to the
‘growing your own’ culture and provides a
succession strategy to recruit and retain
those who have been strategic in the
school’s journey.
NCSL cite the emergence of this
phenomenon as a response to “a recognition
that the requirements of headship are so
complex that two people are better able to
offer the appropriate skills, knowledge and
expertise to fulfil the demands of the role”.
What is it?
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
‘When a team is held collectively accountable for a goal, and rewarded for collective excellence, the team elicits total commitment and accountability from all individuals
Mutualaccountability and
purposeful collaboration
Distributive leadership,
building genuine sustainability
Humility, resolve and open
reflective practice
Students’ success
“When leadership is right it does not feel like a dictatorship”.
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Gaining consensus with staff and securing their
commitment to the model and the underlying ethos
Creative excitement
Genuine commitment
Enthusiastic co-operation
Consenting compliance
Malicious obedience
Rebel or quit
Passive submission
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
The benefits of Co-Headship
Culture of true distributive leadership
Retain & promote excellent colleagues
Shared decisions are objective
Shared role = reduced stress
Can be less expensive
Wider skill set with 2 people
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Convincing Governors and securing their support
for a flatter structure of school leadership
• Use evidence from other Outstanding schools, led by co-
heads - find examples that work
• Pre-empt their concerns and be ready for the difficult
questions
• Use evidence from research nationally and internationally
about flatter structures and sustaining excellence
• Convince governors that we could both be heads
independently
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Ann Julie & Ann Julie
Transformation
Teaching and Learning
Staffing/HR
PM, Training, NQT and Induction
Finance
Y7 Link
KS2-3 link
Curriculum Link Respect
Humanities, MFL and Arts
School Direct/Teaching Alliance
Whole School Vision and Ethos
Appointments and Deployment of Staff
Liaison with Unions
SEF + SDP, Ofsted
Pastoral Care/Wellbeing Behaviour
Maintaining Relationships with
Parents/Carers
Effective Relationships with Outside
Agencies
Advising and Assisting the Governing
Body
Liaison and Co-operation with LA
Liaison with other schools and FE
Establishments
Strategic allocation and management of
resources
Security and Maintenance of premises
Arrangements for Deputy in HT’s
absence
Participation in Teaching
Achievement
Whole school Standards + Progress
Curriculum
Monitoring
Timetable
Y11 Link
KS4-5 Link
Curriculum Link Achievement
Maths & English
Community Links and
Partnerships/SSAT Leading Edge
School
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
So if you want to go
for it….here are
some practical tips
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
• Have absolute clarity about which distinctively different
aspects of school each leads on
• Avoid ‘toe treading’
• Stand together at high profile events
• Manage your disagreements privately
• First loyalties are to each other
• Give each other ‘take up time’
• All co-headships are different; it has to be the right people
for the right reasons.
Some guiding principles
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Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
A little like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’
First permanent exclusion in 10 years and the right decision
Influx of challenging ‘in year’ students, many cross-border
Increased PAN in year 7 and post 16 and oversubscribed
Ensuring staff move on in complex circumstances
Investors in People visit to sustain Gold
Ofsted KS3 survey
An Ofsted inspection via School Direct (same week!)
Best 8 and EBAC challenges continue
Discovering we are yet again top of LA for VA and top in 55 similar schools
Strategic work on Prevent in LA and for good reason
Securing sponsorship status
Applying to lead a Multi Academy Trust
Developing work on life without levels
Other things we could not possibly disclose!
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Research Documents and Support Materials– The Guardian: Co-headship: Why we think two heads
are better than onehttp://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/dec/01/co-headship-schools-shared-leadership
NCSL research into new models of headship– NCSL: Keep your head: Governor perspectives on co-
headship as part of succession planning (pdf)http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/8207/1/keep-your-head-full-report.pdf
– NCSL: Glatter, R & Harvey, J A :Varieties of Shared Headship: A preliminary exploration (pdf)http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/6981/1/download%3Fid%3D17456%26filename%3Dvarieties-of-shared-headship-preliminary-exploration-full-report.pdf
– PWC & DfES: Independent Study into School Leadership (pdf)http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/RB818.pdf
– NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers), 2005, Guidance on Job-share and Flexible Working (www.naht.org.uk)
www.batleygirls.co.uk
Batley Girls' High SchoolVisual Arts College
Head teachers standards 2015:– DFE: National standards of excellence for headteachers (pdf)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/396247/National_Standards_of_Excellenc
e_for_Headteachers.pdf
Twenty Questions for school Governors:– National Governors’ Association: Twenty Questions for school Governors
http://www.nga.org.uk/Guidance/Workings-Of-The-Governing-Body/Governance-Tools/Twenty-Questions.aspx
Frame work for school Governors:– National Governors’ Association: Frame work for school governance
(pdf)http://www.nga.org.uk/getattachment/1af9e9b3-e599-409a-8b19-e067c671b0ce/FINAL-Framework-for-Governance.pdf
A guide to appointing a new Headteacher:– Gov.uk: A guide to recruiting and selecting a new headteacher (pdf)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/342626/a-guide-to-recruiting-and-
selecting-a-new-headteacher.pdf
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