In February 2023, I was interviewed as the incoming headteacher of Scotland’s newest (and at the time unnamed) secondary. Almost two years later, Rosehill High School in East Lothian is home to around 500 young people and over 80 staff.
What have been the biggest lessons we have learned and how might they benefit other leaders of educational change?
Here are some of the lessons that have helped us build and sustain a successful school community from scratch.
1. People don’t know what they don’t know
Like many leaders, I have been guilty of making assumptions about the prior knowledge and skills of staff, despite them coming from hugely varied contexts. Differentiation for staff is as important as differentiation for young people.
Rather than in-service days, we have professional learning days, as well as an ongoing, practitioner-led CLPL (or career-long professional learning) programme.
These sessions welcome support staff alongside teachers, offering personalisation and choice in professional reading, reflective discussions and, crucially, space to explore how individuals and teams will apply the learning at classroom level. That’s where change happens.
2. What’s your evidence?
Leaders often battle with, ”it’s aye been”. Just because it was in the calendar last year, or the school down the road is doing it, or someone on social media posted a nice infographic, it doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
Be data-informed and research-led, but remember that context is everything. Work out what you know to be true in your setting and have the courage of your convictions when you need to do things differently - even when deciding not to spend time decorating classroom doors for Christmas leads to a social media backlash (true story).
3. Telling people what you’ve already said, then telling them again
Communication is everything, and you must make your peace with the frequent disconnects between what you’re sure you have said and what’s been heard.
Pulling out an “as per my last email” is an ongoing temptation in a busy environment, but let’s think about the cognitive load our teams face every day, and where we can reduce the burden on working memory.
As one simple example, a senior leadership team can decrease email traffic with one well-planned Monday staff briefing (including relevant links), which can be easily referred to later and aligns with our vision and values. Then we let everyone get on with it.
4. Focus on your sphere of influence
It’s unlikely that any of us can save the universe, but we can improve our wee corner of it by doing what we do best.
Our core purpose is learning, and we must continue to focus on the incremental gains we can make in this for our young people because this is how we improve their life chances in what feels like a hostile world.
To quote a furious young person earlier this school year, “All we do here is…LEARN!” Correct.
5. Not everyone will buy what you’re selling
We have a distinct school culture. Outward manifestations include an inclusive dress code, no school bells and a liberal use of first names. Behind these sit a commitment to relational approaches, a belief that wellbeing and learning are two sides of the same coin, and an understanding of our shared accountability for student outcomes.
With challenging demographics in a rapidly expanding school, maintaining a commitment to this culture requires continuous and shared clarity of purpose. Our way of doing things isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK - because those who buy in, really buy in. Get the right people on the bus.
6. People make your school
We have a beautiful building, but it’s the people who make Rosehill. While we appreciate how lucky we are to have a new-build school, it’s the interactions within it that count.
Never fail to tell people when you’ve noticed great work. I didn’t think writing notes for staff at the end of each term was unusual, but I’ve learned that it very much is. Say thank you - a lot.
Gail Preston is headteacher at Rosehill High School in East Lothian
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