Identifying Talent and Leadership Development

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools This document is to support schools and governing bodies to identify and manage the talent of their school staff; this i

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING TALENT – GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

This document is to support schools and governing bodies to identify and manage the talent of their school staff; this

is an entitlement for all members of the school community, reflecting the contribution of each individual to school improvement and the achievement of pupils

At an individual level, developing talent means equipping staff with the leadership skills, knowledge and understanding

to carry out their role effectively and apply for promoted positions Putting in place strategies to identify and nurture new talent sends out a clear message that the leadership is committed to its workforce, to helping them to progress in their careers and achieve their aspirations

At a school level, it supports school improvement planning, increases leadership capacity and provides a set of

‘home-grown’ leaders ready to step up to roles and promoted posts

At a system level, it creates a pool of leadership talent able to fulfil leadership needs at local and national level

IDENTIFYING TALENT

Succession planning should be an integral part of every improvement plan Leaders in all settings have a responsibility to identify and nurture leaders of the future, for the sake of not only their own school, but the education system as a whole It should not be just about filling vacancies

Equipping staff to take on leadership roles at all levels shows a commitment to meeting colleagues’ aspirations, while putting in place a structure that enables talented individuals to progress

Identifying talent must be done in the context of the school’s understanding of its needs and demands in the foreseeable future

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER?

The first step in identifying future talent is to ensure that leaders understand the qualities needed to undertake leadership tasks These traits and characteristics will vary depending on the level of leadership concerned but some qualities are common in the most effective leaders Outstanding classroom practice, for example, is an obvious one Resilience and the ability to bounce back from set-backs and day-to-day challenges is another, as is the ability to effectively communicate with others

As well as being a good, confident practitioner, a leader needs to be able to influence colleagues and to use their insight

to see things from different angles They also need to be open to criticism which could help them to improve, something that can be difficult to handle for people who are used to excelling in their current role

Other key leadership characteristics are:

 the courage to take risks and to learn from the outcomes

 having a good work-life balance, with opportunities to develop as an individual

 the ability to work beyond their comfort zone

 being optimistic and having a positive outlook

SPOTTING LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL

There are a number of ways in which leadership potential can be assessed or measured Some headteachers find that an informal approach as simple as conversations with colleagues can help to identify aptitudes and aspirations Some look for that spark of potential at the recruitment stage by asking pertinent questions about the candidate’s interests and aspirations

Teacher appraisal is probably the most equitable and cost-effective method; all staff are set objectives that are reviewed annually and the process identifies where individuals have met challenges and grown in experience, maturity and emotional intelligence and is a good indicator of potential Here are some more ways to spot talent:

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

 Career progression interviews; these can be linked to the appraisal processes and can be used to monitor an individual’s aspirations and to ensure that challenges are set which are appropriate and meet their needs

 Self-nomination; individuals can put themselves forward via an application process and have an opportunity to

show their leadership qualities The down-side to this method is that it may not highlight those who currently lack confidence, but still have potential

IS YOUR EXISTING PRACTICE IN LEADERSHIP TALENT-SPOTTING ROBUST AND EFFECTIVE OR COULD IT BE IMPROVED?

These questions will help you reflect on your current practice and establish a starting position:

 Do you place a high priority on the development of your leadership team?

 Do you have a process in place for identifying and managing talent?

 Do you distinguish between the variety of behaviours and competencies required for different roles?

 Do you offer objective feedback to staff on their behaviours and competencies?

 Do you carry out regular professional development reviews leading to individual action plans?

 Do you proactively manage the careers of talented individuals within the school?

DEMONSTRATING YOUR COMMITMENT

 Do you have a policy on succession planning that all governors and staff are aware of?

 Do you make a point of talking regularly to individuals about their career aspirations and look for leadership potential in new staff, especially those at the start of their career?

If you do these things, you are sending out a message to staff at every level, that developing talent is a priority for your organisation

DEVELOPING TALENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Leadership development can take a range of formats including formal National College and other accredited programmes, participating in local leadership networks and CPD opportunities, in school leadership development programmes, local school-to-school and collaborative programmes and individual personal reading and research

Evidence confirms that organisations that offer able and talented staff opportunities to develop leadership skills have a lower turnover because the workforce feels motivated, empowered and valued At the same time, in-house leadership development creates a ready-made pool of potential candidates for when senior vacancies arise

WHO IS INVOLVED?

Decisions about leadership development should be linked to the requirements of your school or academy Creating leadership opportunities need not be restricted to teaching staff Support staff carrying out roles as diverse as office administrative tasks or site management, for example, also have aspirations and can bring vital expertise to your school through their own personal and professional interests

The governing body, too, is a key part of the equation Any decisions on leadership development should be carried out

in consultation and with the support of governors, who need to understand the vital part that succession planning can play in the school improvement process

Working with other schools in your locality, arranging job swaps or secondments for example, may enable you to address both your leadership needs and theirs more effectively

STRATEGIES FOR GROWING LEADERS

It is important to have a strategic approach to developing leaders in order to bring on people with the right skills and abilities It can also mean a smoother transition when someone in a leadership role announces they are moving on

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

Popular strategies include:

 carrying out an audit or questionnaire of your staff annually asking them where they see themselves in three to five years’ time

 having in place a systematic talent management pathway that provides leadership opportunities within the organisation or across a group of schools

 mapping management opportunities with individual aptitudes and needs

 providing a range of authentic leadership placements and context-based development experiences

 taking positive action to encourage diversity within the senior leadership team

GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO LEAD

Effective school leaders do not just emerge Some people are well suited to leadership but don’t realise it themselves; others are put off by the impression they have formed of leadership, which may be very different from the reality

To overcome misconceptions and to give people a true picture of what leadership entails, they need to see for themselves what it means on a day-to-day basis Asking staff to ‘act up’ to take on new and greater responsibilities for a particular aspect of work, for example, or putting emergent leaders in key positions, gives them the opportunity to do this and to develop professionally in a safe, supportive and familiar environment

Job shadowing and observing effective, more senior colleagues and taking on some of their duties in their absence is another way of giving staff insight into leadership, while encouraging individual leadership on whole-school issues gives people a valuable understanding of the big picture beyond their existing role

Added support from a coach or mentor can also give people the confidence to try out leadership, knowing they have a

‘safety net’

BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE

Internal opportunities are valuable, but potential leaders may actually need to be taken beyond the comfort zone of their own setting to face challenges in different contexts to allow real progress to be made, and for their potential to blossom

One way to facilitate this is to provide them with opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge in a different organisation, such as a secondment to another, perhaps more challenging setting Time limited ‘job swaps’ or shadowing opportunities with staff in other settings within the Local Authority, can have a similar impact for both your emerging leaders and those elsewhere

BENEFITS FOR THE SCHOOL

Developing leadership potential within the organisation and offering opportunities for professional enhancement, can have far-reaching benefits for a school

The internal capacity of the organisation also improves as individuals’ leadership experience increases their knowledge and insight, which they can share with colleagues

Other benefits include:

 the encouragement of innovative practices and continuing professional development of all staff, which can keep schools at the cutting edge

 identification and implementation of innovation and good practice observed in partnership schools by

prospective leaders on secondment

 adding value to school improvement agendas and building capacity to meet those demands

 promoting a culture of high aspiration and expectation within the school – for staff, as well as pupils

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

Most importantly, the enhanced professionalism, expertise and knowledge that staff derive from their new leadership experiences is likely to mean better outcomes for pupils, helping them to progress and raising attainment

THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY

The Local Authority currently brokers and signposts to a range of programmes to support and develop leaders at all levels, for example:

 Emerging Leaders

 Aspiring Middle Leaders

 Aspiring Senior Leaders

 National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership (NPQML)

 National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL)

 National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH)

Delegates showing signs of leadership potential are spotted as part of their involvement in Local Authority programmes School Improvement Advisors will also spot potential leaders as part of their work with individual schools and capture this as part of MRE Reports and Notes of Visits

Delegates identified as potential leaders of the future are signposted to are encouraged to access National College for Teaching and Leadership training delivered by Teaching Schools, or apply to become Specialist or Local Leaders of Education to support not only the development of their own schools, but on a system wide level

The role of Teaching Schools

Teaching schools systematically identify leadership talent within and across alliances

Teaching school alliances have an increasingly important strategic role in succession planning by systematically managing the talent in their alliances to bring through the next generation of Headteachers for all schools

Teaching school alliances increasingly take responsibility for:

 securing local leadership supply data in order to strategically plan for how they will develop leaders to meet

their future local needs

 developing future Headteachers to help meet the most pressing national needs of primary, small rural, special, challenging urban/coastal and faith schools

 putting in place systematic processes across teaching school alliances to identify leadership talent in areas of

need

 putting in place systematic talent management that develops this leadership talent within and across their

schools (through a range of authentic leadership placements and experiences)

 measure and understand the success of their succession planning role

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

Wakefield Leadership Development Programmes

Title/

Progression

Route

Emerging

Leader for

Support Staff

Primary The programme:

 Is focused upon school improvement and building leadership capacity across support staff in school

 Is differentiated according to individual needs

 Incorporates school-based activities

 Is practical, challenging and up-to-date

Higher level teaching assistants

Teaching assistants Educational support assistants

Learning mentors

All who aspire to lead

Emerging

Leader for

Support Staff

Secondary The programme :

 Is focused upon school improvement and building

 leadership capacity across support staff in school

 Is differentiated according to individual needs

 Incorporates school based activities

 Is practical, challenging and up-to-date

Teaching Assistants or Higher Level Teaching Assistants Administration staff Premises staff Site supervisors Catering teams Learning mentors ICT support team staff Data team members

All who aspire to lead

Aspiring

Middle

Leader

Primary This programme:

 Is interactive, participatory, personalised and reflective

- involving case studies, role play and practical activities all embedded within leadership scenarios and aimed at enhancing key leadership skills

 Develops identified areas are with participants and a programme is built, tailored to meet their needs

Participants will complete a school improvement project which

is developed throughout the programme

This programme is aimed at aspiring or recently appointed core subject leaders, Key Stage leaders or coordinators

Aspiring

Middle

Leader

Secondary In this exciting practical programme, aspirational colleagues

will focus on preparing for the significant step into middle leadership – arguably the most important role in effecting school change and improvement

Recently appointed Middle

leaders/coordinators Classroom teachers who aspire to middle leadership

NPQML Primary

Secondary

Cross Phase

The course will cover:

Leading a team within an organisation, leading teaching, managing systems and processes

For further details:

http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/professio nal-development/middle-leadership-development-programme

Established middle leaders with responsibility for leading a team including: key stage/ subject/ curriculum leaders/ heads of department/ pastoral leaders

DRAFT - Identifying and developing talent – Guidance for schools

Title/

Progression

Route

Aspiring

Senior Leader

Primary The aims of this course are for participants to:

 Develop an understanding of what effective leadership

is

 Evaluate personal leadership strengths and areas for development

 Improve monitoring and evaluation techniques and understanding

 Identify the steps needed to improve teaching and learning

 Plan effectively for change

 Lead and support colleagues through the change process

 Evaluate impact of change

 Disseminate findings and impact to stakeholders

This is a course that is aimed at colleagues who have actual leadership responsibilities within their school

improvement plan

Aspiring

Senior Leader

Secondary Participants cover the areas of:

 Moral & Ethical leadership;

 How to create team vision & mission;

 Working Smarter- increasing personal effectiveness;

 Leading people to perform with excellence;

 Governance;

 Being strategic - thinking strategically;

 Using Emotional Intelligence to maximum effect;

 Employment Law & Human Resource issues

Curriculum leaders Pastoral leaders Key Stage leaders/coordinators

All who aspire to senior leadership

NPQSL Primary

Secondary

Cross Phase

The programme will cover:

Leading beyond a team within an organisation, closing the gap and succeeding in senior leadership

For further details:

http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/professio nal-development/middle-leadership-development-programme

Senior leaders with cross-school responsibilities including: experienced middle leaders/deputy heads/SENCO/ other senior staff looking for professional

development but not aspiring to headship at this stage

NPQH Primary

Secondary

Cross Phase

The programme covers:

 Leading an organisation

 Leading and improving teaching

 Leading an effective school

 Succeeding in headship

http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/professio nal-development/npqh.htm

Aspiring Headteachers

or Principals who are

no more than 12-18 months from applying for leadership posts and have full support

of the Headteacher