When I first arrived at Byron Court in 2011 it was antiquated, having been led by the same head for 26 years. The teachers were very good for the most part, but there was little evidence in place to qualify the standards of teaching and learning. Initially, it was hard to say how many children would get a level 4 in English and maths – individual children would just be picked out if there was cause for concern. There were no recorded percentages, likelihoods, anything like that.
Assessment was similarly led at a personalised level, where the attainment and achievement of individuals was well known, but the broad overview and percentages of those that could get their expected level wasn’t readily available. The school also had cross-phase classes that the parents weren’t very happy about, and which the teachers found to be a bit of a struggle to manage, due to the extensive differentiation demands.
A sense of direction
Ofsted had last visited a couple of years before I arrived, and gave what was then a ‘Satisfactory’ rating. Standards had been dropping – it was classic case of what we’d now define as coasting. Things were pretty much just ‘ticking along’ with no real vigour, enthusiasm or any innovation happening.
One of the first things I did was create faculties, and explained my thinking behind this to the staff. Over a series of table discussions I asked them what Byron Court was about – how the school came across to them, what their own values were, what they wanted to achieve. The staff found these sessions really interesting, because nobody had actually asked them such questions before.
The faculties proved to be incredibly empowering. Each faculty wrote out action plans that underpinned the main priorities of the school development plan – which until that point didn’t actually exist. This way, everybody knew the direction of travel and had the power and freedom to affect that direction. I found that I had many inspired teachers and support staff, who when given free reign and some empowerment helped to make a difference very swiftly.
Out with the old
I gathered some TAs in my office and set them to work shredding stuff – everything older than three years just went. We ordered in skips and had everyone start chucking out loads of dusty things that should have gone years ago – Victorian desks, hideous paintings. We then enlisted an architect I’d worked with at two of my old schools and began drawing up plans for what we could do.
We completed a new top corridor first, then built an extra classroom to create three forms of intake. That done, we opted to keep going and overhauled the administrative areas – by clearing up and giving the staff more space, they were able to start making our systems far more streamlined.
The school’s younger staff were largely gung-ho and embraced these changes – older colleagues, less so. One member of staff wanted to establish an ‘open forum’, in which staff members could discuss their concerns. I told her that staff were welcome to write down, anonymously if they wished, those things they were worried about or not happy with, and that I’d address them. In the end I only received 11 responses – things like ‘Who’s monitoring the expenditure?’ and ‘Why did you order those lights?’
In March 2012 Ofsted came for two days. We received ‘Outstanding’ across the board, particularly in our standard of provision. That led to us applying to become a teaching school, which we were awarded a couple of years later.
Until relatively recently, Byron Court didn’t have a motto. We decided to get the children to write one, and they came up with ‘Believe it, achieve it’.
It’s a case of sowing those seeds – as a headteacher, you’ve got to be a good farmer.
Be a good farmer
Having a plan and vision for change is one thing – bringing staff on board is quite another. Martine shares five key points that her experiences at byron court taught her…
1. Inspire people
There has to be an inspiring vision of positive change that people want to buy into. You need to tap into people’s values and what they believe in. Ultimately, your teachers are all there to make a difference to the lives of children, and if you can support them in achieving that, you can get that buy-in and get a lot of things done.
2. Focus on policy and procedure
There’ll be wobbles and resistance from some, but it’s a case learning how to manage that. The answer isn’t to put yourself out there as a target, but to work with the school’s senior leaders and strategic decision makers. If people can see you’ve got clear systems in place, they’ll feel secure and work better.
3. Embrace the new
Empower every member of staff (including TAs) to have a voice in setting the direction of the school. Outline the broad strokes of your five main priority areas according to the Ofsted framework and what you need to sharpen up. Allow staff to create their own action plans for how they’re going to meet them, you’ll release a great deal of energy and creativity.
4. Let go of the past
Allow people to clear out the school’s accumulated rubbish. Some staff asked me if they were really allowed to do that, and I had to say “Of course! If you’re not using it and it’s covered in dust, throw it away!’ People can be excited when getting a new leader, but also nervous because it spells change. If you can show how this change will let them develop, grow and have a stronger voice in how the school operates, that’s really powerful.
5. Listen
On your very first day, give staff a chance to express what their strengths are, what should be kept and what they’d like to see change. You’ll get a collective wishlist which you’ll tend to find feeds into what you want yourself.
Martine Clark is the Headteacher at Byron Court Primary School
