Half-term can be a time for reflecting and agonising. Some school leaders review assemblies to see if their ‘topline message’ is getting through. Some consider whether the dynamics of the team are strong enough to retain the confidence of parents. Some fret over new initiatives launched with a bang at the start of the year (have they furthered the school’s vision or merely fizzled out?). This, I imagine, is what political leaders do during recess, only on a larger scale and under piercing scrutiny.
The role of the school and the political leader bear comparison. The challenge of authenticity, coherence and values is enduringly difficult and common. As Labour seeks a new leader in Scotland, and the country seeks a new prime minister in May, here are three lessons from school leadership that may be useful to politicians:
- A vision dies without well thought-through policies and practices
A staple of the school leader is a PowerPoint presentation about the school’s vision. This is usually delivered at the beginning of the school year to bleary-eyed teachers on the first day back.
While this ‘conference speech’ usefully sets the tone for the year and sketches out a message, it soon falls apart if the groundwork has not been done. For example, a vision that sets out a new curriculum will quickly be undermined if school timetables are the same as they were last year and teachers do not have planning time to adjust. By day two when teachers engage in the practicalities and they see that nothing has changed, they do not think you are serious. Next time you try and reshape the vision, it is harder because credibility has been lost. A political speech can sometimes be the start of the process. In a school, if you want it to have an impact, it comes near the end when the hard thinking about implementation has been done.
- Leadership is persuasion
In theory the power of the headteacher is absolute. They can direct, promote and scold. Increasingly they have the power to sack. But this artillery is only as good as the arguments you can make to staff. Good teachers know their value and are not afraid to move on. Brilliant school leaders use the full range of persuasive arts to keep people on board. Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion are a useful guide. You need pathos – an ability to understand the emotions of the audience; logos – a clear and logical argument; and ethos – credibility. Through this frame you can see why political leaders want compelling personal anecdotes in speeches (ethos), why they talk about the NHS or immigration in emotionally charged terms (pathos) and why the intellectual argument is key. A crisis of leadership in school is often a crisis of ethos (‘I don’t see YOU teaching very much’ a common refrain from unpersuaded staff). A crisis of ethos in politics is a feeding ground for populism.
- Argument helps clarify purpose
By necessity a school leader has many audiences to please. Research says staff are the most important group – without them teaching is poor and learning is stunted. Governments want the parents/voters to be king. All argue over what is best for children. In practice these groups can be in opposition. Imposing additional working time on staff may be good for children but bad for staff. Keeping a student after school may inconvenience a parent but be good for school discipline. Although arguments can cause disgruntlement amongst the school’s sustaining coalition, they are essential. They help amplify the school’s values and give practical evidence to parents, children and teachers about what the school stands for. It is important to have these arguments openly. There is nothing worse than a staff meeting where everyone appears in agreement, but objections are voiced in the staffroom where they fester and undermine. Politicians say they want unity, but for school leaders clarity is a more powerful commodity as it allows you to steer the school in the right direction.
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Oli de Botton is deputy head of School 21. He contributes to the Reform Time column and tweets @olidebotton
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