As a Principal, my focus was concentrated solely on one school – a single plan for improvement, a specific staff development plan, and one set of results. In guiding a school, I had all the information that I needed at my fingertips, which allowed me to delve deeply into all aspects of the school’s operations and develop as a leader.
However, two years ago, my role took a considerable shift when I became Regional Education Director for the North Region at AET. Suddenly, I became responsible for supervising twelve schools scattered throughout an expansive region.
Now, I have a team of 400+ employees as opposed to the 40 I was previously responsible for. Navigating this while also retaining a sharp focus on the intricacies of each school has been – and remains – a Herculean challenge.
Still, my job is not to do the work but to enable others to do it effectively. And the regional model of AET is a crucial foundation for fostering collaboration and collective accountability towards the success of our region.
Our approach is collegiate - unified in thinking and execution. This is not markedly different from how we have worked together in the past. However, we now have a robust structure in place that promotes sustained and durable improvement.
We want to develop a shared perspective on excellence in teaching and curriculum while also taking into account the distinct characteristics of each school.
This has to come from a culture of deep collaboration to spread expertise across the 12 schools in a way that goes beyond fleeting assistance or exchanging best practice. Our goal is to successfully seal the circle of support.
Over the past couple of years, schools in our region have actively supported each other through various means. Co-principals have dedicated one day per week to help strengthen another school, an executive principal has offered inspection-readiness expertise on a fortnightly basis, and a principal with EYFS expertise provides comprehensive support to settings in need.
My role within this structure is to be the binding element between our schools at the chalk face and the central team.
It's critical to convey the right messages from the trust to school leaders to keep them engaged and motivated, even though not all messages will be well-received. Certainly, I can recall my own bouts of frustration and confusion when I was a principal. Striking a balance between the 'messiah' and the 'messenger' roles is essential.
Whether it's a phonics programme, working hours, new digital systems, or budgetary decisions, some principals may not instinctively understand ‘the why’ behind decisions. My role demands exceptional communication, ensuring all school leaders see themselves as integral parts of a collective greater than the sum of its individual entities.
The development of this collective mindset has substantially improved our region. This is particularly evident in attendance rates, especially among vulnerable groups like SEND students. Over the past year alone, we have also seen improvement in phonics by 10%, a significant 5% increase in meeting the Expected Standards for Year 6 in reading, writing, and maths, and an overall boost in chronological reading age from Years 2 to 6.
But the challenges each school in my region faces vary greatly. For example, a two-form primary school in Bradford has different hurdles from a school in Louth with fewer than 70 students, which differs again from schools in Middlesbrough where nearly 40% of children have English as an additional language or a primary school in Barnsley with a large SEND base.
Schools in the North region of AET are also located in some of the most challenged areas across the UK - almost half of all primary school children in the Northern region of AET qualify for free school meals.
Geographical complexities further complicate the support they receive from me and from each other. Visiting all twelve schools entails nearly 350 miles of travel, which would be an eight-hour round trip even under the most favourable road conditions - a rarity on the M1!
These challenges certainly remind us of the journey ahead. Navigating the diverse starting points of each school and striving for simultaneous forward movement is an ongoing task.
Even though each of our twelve schools has its unique identity, strengths, and weaknesses, we want to appreciate these differences while pursuing collective excellence in the curriculum and teaching development - embodied by AET490.
The best schools leave lasting legacies, aiming not only for immediate results but also for establishing traditions of excellence to benefit future generations. AET490 encapsulates this ethos - it's a journey, not a destination. The current improvements in our regional culture are for long-term impact, not simply immediate results.
Armed with a strong team and shared vision for excellence in education, we are prepared to undertake this journey, despite the challenges along the way. While leading and managing people in any sector has its complexities, working with individuals who are committed to enhancing the lives of others really is a very special privilege.
This is part of a series that takes an honest look at the priorities of each of the five regions at AET.
To find out more about the North region, read Zoe Bidmead's blog on the crucial role of mindset in school improvement.
As an introduction for this series, Rebecca Boomer-Clark, AET CEO, explains why we have revised our operating model and established five distinct regions.
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