Step into Headship - Term 2

Think I am overly focused on the inspire part

Strategic plan, the needs of the five new teachers, building maintenance, new contractors, recruitment for next year, interviewing for a new deputy head, regular visits to the Mainsite the list goes on and getting into class slips from my fingers. 

I'm ridden with the guilt of needing to set an example in every department. Displays - must try to do one of the best in the school, assemblies - must sing and dance and have one of the most significant messages, teach a lesson - must have the children going home talking about it to their parents as a memorable lesson. I know it's not sustainable. I know it's not achievable but still the guilt persists. Is this the same guilt that drives teachers to commit the hours extra of their time to ensure the children get the best? 

Almost at this point - just not quite yet!

So what's the answer? I ask myself what will count as success over the course of the year. I choose two elements that if I am successful in, I will feel that I can count it as a good first year. First of all - the parents have identified the joint schools'  events as a source of stress and teachers and middle mangers have made similar comments over the last year. This will be one of my targets. Secondly, the school will go through a BSO (British Overseas Inspection) later in the year. I will use this as the second marker. To come out of that without any significant weaknesses and to give pointers on our road to success. 

So to next week. Interviews, assemblies and more importantly - at the top of my list is to get into all the classes and spend some time working with children and talking about where they are up to. 

Step into Headship - The Beginning

With almost five weeks gone and three to four weeks preparation in the summer before that, I feel that I have lived a lifetime as a new head. In reality it is barely a drop in the ocean. It was a list of firsts that had to be ticked off.

• My first admin meeting
• My first leadership team meeting
• my first day with all my teachers in
• My first briefing to the teachers
• My first setting the tone for the year briefing
• My first day with the children in 
• My first Parent's Introductory Evening

Each left with the thought - roll on one year. I kept thinking that when I got through the firsts, I would get to routine. And in the routine I would be able to find the time to do the things that I most wanted to do. But in actual fact, each of these moments were powerful moments. Each of these times, I opened my philosophies up for examination. Each of these times I shaped the thoughts of those around me in how they viewed me. Each of these times I built the way that the team would react to me when asked to do what I want. 

It all went so well so far but it hasn't been all plain sailing. I had been building a model of Extra-curricular activities in my mind. The idea was based around that there should be some continuous provision of activities that some teachers do that become the school's identity. Maybe an ongoing football team and a chess team. Not all the ECAs would be prescribed but just a handful to give that identity. I then spoke to my deputy- and here is the rub - not about my vision but about wanting to fill some of the ECAs first. He dutifully and with a selling enthusiasm, put it out to the staff. The ECA rota was filled for the term and low and behold the two ECAs that I had asked to be done were not taken up by any teacher in the school. I stubbornly decided to do both of them myself. This is not a solution. This was not done well. The vision is where the staff should have been brought in. Lesson learnt. Now onto my seconds of everything.