Learning event 1

It is the morning after the first day of my first CofE NPQH module.  What a day yesterday was. It was jam packed full of fantastic thoughts, new ideas and information on the assignment.
I am currently looking back through my notes after possibly the worst night sleep in a long time! So much for a good night away from the children, someone TV blaring until gone 1am, but never mind!

So Jenny started with reflections on Psalm 23 and I loved the link to how it speaks of different aspects of leadership that we explored through the day.

Andy Wolfe led us in a truly inspiring session on how vision can inspire passion and knowing SIAMs is coming up for us as a school I found this really helpful.
Various documents that I hadn't seen were shared such as the 'Ethos Enhancing outcomes' and I will definitely be making use of the questions in these documents to make staff stop and reflect on new practise in light of the vision.  I also can see how it would be brilliant for governors and their role to think about their understanding of and ability to challenge me on our vision. I think looking at curriculum design and the higher achievers would definitely fit with our raising attainment plan at the moment.

Andy also shared a new matrix of the thoughts from the vision document shared in smaller cards which were then divided into the headings called, connected and committed. We sorted these into those we felt were strengths and those we needed to work on more.  It was a fascinating exercise and the conversations had in small groups was really helpful. It also was great to think about what others in our school would say about us! I typed up the cards here

Rob then led a session on scanning the horizon to see what is coming up on the educational landscape...

 

I was really interested in peoples thoughts shared on capacity. Because instantly you either feel like this is something else I need to do or worry about putting more on other people.  However I hadn't thought about some of the suggestions such as Governors, TAs- allow them to research with time provided.  Parents- especially those at Gunthorpe who are incredibly knowledge rich and capable.  Thinking about how we could working across schools/trust/collaboration to support each other.  The one message that was crucial. This is only of worth  If they know what scanning for- clarity is key.

I found this really helpful to clarify what we mean by scanning the horizon and the cycle that occurs after defining a question or thought to research.

We thought about Sensemaking and what data was required to do the job of head.  It is so easy to be data rich but information poor and this really resonated with me. Especially when I think about O track and the range of ways the information can be presented as I had prepared for governors last week. This led to conversations about chair of governors and again made me ponder how I work alongside mine to bring about improvements to move the school forward together. So once the area to be considered has been defined we thought about how we move into the design mode using critical thinking...

Critical thinking  models...

5 whys- every question allowed to ask 5 whys... Rob used these on me when we were thinking about an area in school. I found the experience really challenging and definitely felt under pressure to have the right answers when I just don't always! 

Swot- strength, weakness, opportunity, threat.  I seem to recall doing this during my middle leadership course way back way.  Rather than thinking about the whole school we were encouraged to add the critical bit by selecting on just one area. I think this will be helpful thinking about my project in school.

Cost benefit- assign money eg. 10 tokens. In order to think about our priorities and how we weight school budget. For example thinking about the cost of slt / staff meeting.  Balancing this alongside ensuring people are provided with CPD that has an impact and is meaningful.  For example earlier we spoke about how learning walks originally were to check that CPD was embedded. I feel that actually this is really helpful to return to.  Deliver CPD. Have a learning walk to assess how well it is embedded with a clear focus and then follow up with individual staff on specific issues and only need whole staff meeting time if there are whole school implications. 

Appreciative inquiry- learn from data in a positive way. What’s working well? I think this is absolutely vital at a time when staff well being is so important.  It is so important to focus on the strengths not just the weakness.  Don’t have to worry about finding next steps just keep doing it well. I reflect now on how when I updated the SEF I didn't really look at the strengths and weaknesses. I just looked at what I had done to address the weaknesses. At Easter I will make sure the strengths are updated because they should be!   One suggestion I loved was that when we are looking at a data set which is positive we stop and consider why? What has had the greatest impact on that and how can it be used to affect other areas.

Challenge assumptions - We all label children, indeed we are required to sometimes.  However is that helpful? If we strip off our preconceptions where would we be. 

  

Rob shared this concept of Leadership...

I think this is really helpful too considering how to rise above the challenge of VUCA, all qualities that I aspire too:

Rob than led an exercise getting us to think about what others know about us as leaders and how they are far more observant than perhaps we realise. We looked at various images for leadership and how we described the leaders. It made me think of what conceptions staff, governors and parents will have and if I want to make a change to any of these that it is never too late!

We ended the session looking at the cycle of grace:

Leadership- acceptance (ourselves) sustains us (different for each of us) before we know what’s significant (for us) to be able to acknowledge of achievement. We looked at Jesus and were encouraged to think where on the journey of acceptance we are and to make sure we knew what sustains us.  To think about how those things could be done in school time as well as before/after school.  For example making time to exercise in school time if that helps!

2 most important things that I will take away:

1.   Find a link placement school for project
2. Start to both UK/international research mastery maths as my project for task 1- look on the chartered college. 

What has resonated today?

• ·         What staff already know of my leadership from reading me every day
• ·         That I want to be a servant leadership- assess which of those cards are strengths and ones I would like to improve
• ·         How in tricky times need to see how ethos is silently communicated
• ·         To think about how to scan horizon for what changes might come

What sustains you as a leader?

·         Prayer and time with God

·         Friends- being able to talk to friends and colleagues

·         Gym and exercise.

What will do on Monday?

·         Find a way to be a servant leader to those in school