My Basic Leadership Principles
Schools exist for the benefit of students. Test every decision against whether the outcome will be better for the students.
Values, ethos and aspiration are the most important aspects to develop and support growth of children. These are therefore the most important aspects to consider when appointing staff. Mutually respectful relationships at all levels.
Leadership with vision. A vision can never be too big, and no vision is unachievable. Always lead towards the best solution, never a compromise, even if this means that there will need to be several sub steps to achieve the ultimate goal.
Tighten up to good. Loosen up to outstanding. Dare to dream beyond outstanding. All self-evaluation analysed and reflected upon in order to plan action forwards. You don’t make staff happy by making life easy for them. Motivation and support with high self-esteem from achievement and recognition of excellence through accountability are key.
Excellence is important in every area. Leave no stone unturned. Have relentlessly high standards, helping and supporting until those standards are understood and articulated by all. Make the difficult decisions, never avoid them.
Lead with clarity and communication. A consistently consistent staff knowing that students need a bedrock of consistency within which to thrive. Teamwork from staff, coupled with teamwork with and from students. Student responsibility supported and encouraged, with staff supporting students to support students.
A child is best educated in partnership with parents and together with their community. Make schools more fun to attend than either students or staff thought possible and the benefits will be reaped through motivation and results. Happiness breeds success.
Use modern technology and evolve with the times to ensure congruity of experience and a link to the real world. To ignore or misuse technology out a of a misguided notion of perpetuating historic practice, is preparing students for yesterday not tomorrow.
Collaboration and sharing, benefit other schools, but more so for your own school.
