School ethos does matter, in other words, and time should be dedicated to explicitly cultivate it. But how? The diagrams above 2 , in contrast, show a new model— in which two phases are required to embed the values and character of the school in a sustainable structure.
To ensure the sustainability of the model, however, each stakeholder group must assume equal responsibility in the creation, maintenance and further development of the positive school ethos. Where all stakeholders believe their input is equally valued stage 2 , they will be more able to support and reinforce other inputs as well as their own.
Research has shown that schools with a strong sense of ethos have higher levels of teacher retention, increasing levels of achievement and success, and better overall performance. With such potentially powerful results, it is clear that school leadership should be encouraged to measure and evaluate their current climate by making explicit what is so often implicit and embedded in classroom practice.
To believe that a school ethos can be developed purely at a policy making level, however, is a fundamental error. To create a positive school ethos, traditionally as seen in model 1 the momentum begins with an individual — the head.
To decide what the school ethos will be and present it in a vision for the school community is typical of the top-down model, with the most significant input given from leadership in corporately creating and contriving the desired ethos. This is then reinforced with activities or events, organised at a whole school level sometimes extravagant in nature: school productions, concerts for communities, sports days etc that may clearly project the sense of a tightly bound community with a potent and pervasive influence in the atmosphere.
Without a reinforcement of this atmosphere within the everyday life of the school, an ethos cannot be sustainable. To create a sustainable positive school ethos, SLTs are required, not to create the ethos, but to create the organisational conditions and the shared vision for all stakeholders staff and students, parents, governors, local community to buy into.
All teachers are expected to model leadership qualities in their classrooms and to encourage and develop leadership skills in students. The DCSF provides extensive frameworks which support the work of schools and within which schools are expected to operate.
Many others cover inspection, employment issues, management of resources, governance etc. Schools are accountable for examination outcomes to students, parents, governors, the local community, the LA and the DCSF. Results are published on the Internet and in the newspapers.
Inspection reports are also published on the Internet. School leaders enjoy their responsibilities and the opportunities they have for shaping their schools but their very visible and public accountabilities can be a source of stress. Although schools are now freer from the LA there is now a much greater level of direction from the national government than in the past. Before that, teaching was in the hands of the teachers and the curriculum was largely determined by the examination syllabi.
Schools and teachers had more freedom to determine what they taught. Until , Religious Education was the only compulsory subject. In the then Prime Minister James Callaghan started 'The Great Debate' on the education system arguing that: In today's world, higher standards are demanded than were required yesterday and there are simply fewer jobs for those without skill.
Therefore we demand more from our schools than did our grandparents. Since then education has been an important focus for governments and the extensive changes have been made possible by the support the public, particularly parents, has had for them. A recent report for government notes that: School leaders in England and Wales have a lot of which to be proud. Existing survey work shows that, when compared to other professions, people in wider society think that headteachers provide particularly good examples of leadership.
They have led the implementation of a series of major national initiatives in the last three years, during which time, levels of pupil performance have continued to improve and are currently at an all time high; and furthermore seeing children achieve, according to our research, is the single most important aspect of the job that gives school leaders greatest satisfaction. Recognition in the 's that school leaders needed training led to the establishment of the National Professional Qualification for Headteachers NPQH which is now a compulsory qualification for all headteachers in England.
The training is based on the National Standards for Headteachers. The six areas covered are:. It now has responsibility for the NPQH. Another aspect of their work is research and in they described 'Seven strong claims about effective school leadership'. Effective school leadership - overview of findings from research evidence. Source: Seven strong claims about effective school leadership, Leithwood et al.
The development of other school leaders including senior, middle leaders, school business managers and students, is also undertaken by the NCSL. As a result of the training, new headteachers now have a much better understanding of their role and are more prepared to take on its challenges. Ethos - vision, values, aims Each school is different and has its own ethos.
The school's situation, its history its community, its context all makes up that ethos. The headteacher plays a key role in leading the shaping and development of that ethos and the vision and values the school embraces. Respecting others is essential for students in developing relationships with peers and teachers. Students who learn to respect each other and authority will develop into productive citizens. It not only allows them to respect others, but also to respect themselves and to make good choices.
The children in a school are valued, with an environment that fully encourages and celebrates their learning and progression and how they are developing. The provision of a safe and secure learning environment for all its pupils should be provided through recognizing the importance of welcoming diversity and equal opportunities. The atmosphere within a school should be positive, with this being reflected in the attitudes of the staff and pupils, all caring for and taking pride in their surroundings and in how the learning journey of each pupil takes.
Make the effort to create meaningful conversations: This is the optimal time to incorporate positive modeling so that children can have the chance to learn appropriate social skills, by watching parents and teachers in their daily interactions with others.
On the same hand, interactions with children themselves are just as important. They will begin to open up and really express themselves when they see that others are truly invested in what they are saying. This all plays an important part in creating self-confidence and self-esteem. This allows the students and teacher to learn and make decisions on reaching that.
It is important to keep all informed with the latest school activities. This gains support as well as partnerships that can lead to contributions financially and volunteering. Greater relations between the school and community help support and reinforce academic and social outcomes of the school community. Cooperative learning also creates self-confidence in each student by allowing them to be a part of a group and working together to create a common goal.
With its structure, direct instruction can be one of the most powerful tools in providing instruction, for both children with and without disability. The instrument has its origins in a major school effectiveness research study commissioned by the then Scottish Education Department and I have used it quite successfully in different education systems around the globe. I complement the qualitative discussion with a quantitative one.
Teachers are invited to give their views on the seven aspects in two ways — looking backwards and looking forwards. They are then asked to complete the same exercise a second time but thinking with a different mindset and giving their view on how important, how crucial, each statement is — thus creating their view of the ideal school.
Comparisons between the two sets of responses can then be made and discussed. Schools respond positively to the survey instrument, especially when backed up by the face-to-face exchanges in the mini-seminars.
It also leads to lively yet professional discussions on both the actual and ideal results. At the heart of this process is the importance of openness and setting out the purposes of the critical friend review in relation to school ethos. Of the seven aspects, numbers two and four in particular usually engender strong feelings leading to a stimulating professional debate. Quite often I take an ad hoc approach, sometimes inviting teachers to work in small groups to consider two or three of the aspects, comparing the actual and ideal.
Other times I invite some groups to identify strengths while other groups identify concerns and issues prior to sharing in plenary. Overall, the way the results are handled is influenced by the outcomes, the priorities and the prevailing state of play in the school. The common denominator is a willingness to think and act in a positive way, celebrating strengths and addressing common concerns and issues.
Making use of the findings in an open and professional manner is crucial if the school wishes to have a greater understanding of ethos and culture and the areas in which it might improve. A second instrument, which I have adapted for use internationally in evaluating ethos and culture, and which can complement looking backwards and looking forwards, also grew out of the Scottish Education Department research.
It lists 20 opposing aspects, inviting teachers to give their opinions again on a five-point scale of how their school measures up. Again the first mindset focuses on my school as it is and second on my school as I would like it to be. The 20 are:. Together we persuaded almost school leaders and teachers from his school district to take part in the evaluation. Almost all participants completed the questionnaire, which was then analysed, anonymised and distributed to the participating schools.
The exercise led, quite unexpectedly, to the formation of what was to become Hong Kong Schools Self-evaluation Network with around 30 schools joining and myself as founder-director.
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