Governor Training

Succession Planning Strategy

 

Strategic aim:

To secure the supply of high quality school leaders in the context of an increasing number of senior leader retirements and a shortage of applicants.

 

Headlines

1. In Barking and Dagenham, 39% of serving Head Teachers are due to retire within the next 5 years (compared to 28% nationally) - there is a similar issue facing our neighbouring local authorities
2. There is particular pressure in primary schools where 19 schools are likely to require a new Head Teacher in the next 5 years
3. 15% of Deputy Heads are due to retire within the next 5 years, and 35% in the next 10
4. (Do we know the number of unfilled Head Teacher vacancies? And how it compares to previous years?)
5. Barking and Dagenham has a significantly younger age profile for teachers than the national average; for instance 19% of our teachers are 25-29 compared to 13% nationally but only 10% in the 50-54 agree range compared to 16% nationally. This confirms the difficulties faced by schools in recruiting experienced teachers to fill leadership posts
6. Barking and Dagenham has a lower proportion of black and minority ethnic teachers (14%) than the London average (18%) but only 5.7% at Head Teacher level, so it appears we are not as successful at encouraging our black and minority ethnic teachers to aspire to leadership as we are with white/UK teachers
7. (Do we know?) In 2006-2007 x schools were involved in recruiting a Head Teacher. During that year, x% of the recruitment campaigns had no applicants at all and x% failed to appoint and had to re-advertise. The average size of field of applicants was x
8. There is currently no system for systematic 'talent spotting'
9. There are no specific programmes to support and develop our assistant heads
10. There is currently no explicit retention or development policy for our most experienced senior leaders

What we currently don't know

1. The reasons why many Deputy Heads do not appear to be aspiring to Headship
2. The number of schools where both Head Teacher and deputy(ies) are able to retire in the next 5 years
3. Why black and minority ethnic teachers are proportionately underrepresented in senior positions in schools and why it appears that relatively few aspire to and/or achieve senior leadership positions
4. Whether there is a similar issue in regards gender (and the extent to which female teachers are less likely to be encouraged to, aspire to and achieve senior positions in our schools)
5. The extent to which key stakeholders (including Head Teachers and governors) are aware of and signed up to the need for urgent action in regards succession planning
6. Whether Barking and Dagenham currently has a sufficiently strong 'brand' to attract and retain the best school leaders of the future
7. On a systematic basis, the number of enquiries and applications made for each senior position, and the reasons why potential candidates do not apply
8. Data which shows the length of time which Deputy Head Teachers and Head Teachers have been in post; and also the frequency of early retirements
9. Data which differentiates the experience of church and non-church schools

The specific aims we have:

1. To have a strong and sufficiently deep pool of talented potential school leaders from which to select our future Head Teachers
2. To develop and train a pool of Deputy Heads who are able to take up short term Head Teacher vacancies in order to reduce the number of unplanned acting headships to zero by 2010
3. To reduce the number of talented teachers (and potential leaders) leaving the Borough to teach elsewhere
4. To provide a leadership programme for assistant and Deputy Head Teachers as an entitlement which involves placements in other schools as part of personal development
5. To establish a development and retention programme for our most experienced Head Teachers; to encourage more flexible working practices for Head Teachers where this is appropriate
6. To develop a strong 'brand' for Barking and Dagenham which will attract and retain the most effective teachers
7. To support our governing bodies in recognising and making leadership development of their staff in schools a key priority

The values underpinning our strategy:

1. The quality of school leadership at all levels has a significant impact on standards
2. School leadership is most effective (and doable) when it is distributed
3. Every school has a responsibility to support high quality leadership development training, and local succession planning strategies
4. Although every school should play its part in providing and making available leadership opportunities for its staff, sustainable solutions are only likely to be developed when schools and other key agencies (e.g. local authority and Diocesan authorities) work together
5. All teachers aspiring to leadership positions should have an entitlement to a leadership development programme and associated opportunities

Key immediate actions

1. Ensure awareness and buy-in from all schools and other key stakeholders to support the Succession Planning strategy
2. Agree and implement a succession planning strategy which has the support of schools and key stakeholders
3. Hold regular meetings of the succession planning group at least once a term, in order to evaluate progress and respond to changing needs, to stimulate support and offer feedback
4. Report back on progress to key stakeholders on a regular basis and provide ongoing opportunities for feedback and contributions

What we have done so far

1. Identified an advisory Head Teacher to lead this area of work
2. Established a strategy group which includes Head Teacher and governor representation
3. Undertaken some data analysis
4. Looked at what other London Boroughs are doing in this area
5. Established a development programme for over 20 NPQH graduates in liaison with 4 of our neighbouring Boroughs

So what do we need to do?

Based on the above analysis, we need to focus on the following areas of work, which we have divided into short, medium and longer-term priorities. This does not necessarily indicate the level of importance but the time that will be needed to make progress.

 

Short term priorities (i.e. this term and next term)|

Medium term priorities (i.e. Summer and Autumn term)|

Long term priorities (i.e. Autumn term)|

 

 

Contact

Alan Jenner

Senior Adviser - Workforce Development and Governor Support

Westbury Centre

Ripple Road

Barking

IG11 7PT

 

Tel: 020 8270 4834

Fax: 020 8270 6742

Email: alan.jenner@lbbd.gov.uk|

 

Lesley Briden

Administrative Assistant to the Senior Adviser - Workforce Development and Governor Support

 

Tel: 020 8270 6793

Fax: 020 8270 6742

Email: lesley.briden@lbbd.gov.uk|

 

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