Our sector has experienced rapid and unexpected change over the past few years, and it is undeniable that we are faced with new and unique challenges.
One big question for our schools and trusts is how we continue to embrace our role in public life so it best ensures that every single child can continue thriving in their learning.
For me the answer lies with the Nolan Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
These can provide a framework for a meaningful culture and leadership to ensure that all children are equipped for life beyond the school gates.
Selflessness and integrity in school leadership
Above all, educational leaders’ civic responsibilities lie with helping all young people - no matter their background, experiences or academic achievement - to live fulfilling and whole lives, including recognition and celebration for their individual accomplishments.
Furthermore, leading a trust with two special schools, I have been reminded that while we must make sure that we strive for the best for all pupils, the success criteria we use must be relevant to them all, too, and be at the centre of a learning curriculum.
For some, their best interests may be access to support and development opportunities to lead an independent life; for others, they may be the knowledge and guidance to access an apprenticeship or access to mentors and financial support for university applications.
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For other pupils, such as learners at one of our special schools facing unique challenges in returning to a classroom setting consistently for the first time in many years, success is adopting methods of regulation and building positive relationships with their peers or teachers.
In short, to truly celebrate successes for all of our young learners, we must place integrity and selflessness at the crux of our civic work, helping us to continually redefine and contextualise the standards we hold for ourselves as leaders when considering outcomes.
Understanding through openness and honesty
As part of this, we must also ensure that teachers and leaders are open and honest when listening to parents, children and other staff.
Communicating and understanding the context from which someone is approaching a situation will help to dismantle barriers and create an environment that encourages everyone to appreciate others’ challenges.
We must strive to understand the challenges that our young people face, whether mental health difficulties, lack of access to safe and green spaces or undertaking the next step in their learning or career.
We must also help teachers to find the time and resources to foster this, helping them to unlock the important truth hiding in every conversation with a parent, carer or child.
For example, if a parent is dissatisfied about their child’s photo not being included in a newsletter, it may seem trivial. However, the concern may stem from something deeper - feelings of exclusion, a lack of focus on diversity and inclusion, or issues with communication between the school and parents.
Furthermore, to understand each child’s needs, we must understand what is happening in people’s homes and value this by giving the family unit a much-deserved voice not only so they feel heard but also so we place our work and pupils’ learning within that cultural context.
Time to think and accountability
In the past few years we have undoubtedly seen the value of incredible teachers and leaders across the sector, and we must strive to create opportunities for them to realise this value as important civic leaders and role models for young people.
As a trust leader not in the classroom, I am aware that I have more opportunity for headspace to think about this. But we must give all teachers, heads and senior leaders the space and energy to do this by providing the “oxygen mask” of time to think about leadership.
This will enable all of our colleagues to build definitions of success with their communities to achieve one of our trust’s goals - that students can live their lives in dignity.
Ultimately, we all know that civic leadership in education is essential in meeting the evolving challenges that schools face today. But keeping this as a guiding principle in changing and challenging times is not easy.
By grounding this in the Nolan Principles, though, we can embrace a refreshed approach to integrity and selflessness in order to foster diverse definitions of success through open and honest conversations, reaffirm our commitment to holding ourselves accountable and ensure that we remain committed civic leaders for the benefit of all of the children we serve.
Gary Wilkie is CEO of Learning in Harmony Trust
