One of the most problematic questions for people being interviewed for senior leadership roles is about the broader experience. There are many ways to gain experience in more than one school leadership setting, some easier than others.
I recommend gaining experience by becoming a governor at another school. Being a governor is a meaningful part of school leadership. As a governor elsewhere they could performance manage the head teacher, make decisions about staff recruitment or redundancy, set budgets and make pay decisions. They would also gain valuable networking experience with colleagues and gain insight into how many of the more complex decisions are made in schools. Crucially they would gain an understanding of some of the legal limits of what a head teacher works within.
Middle leaders don’t have much contact with governance and joining a governing body and completing the training would be a benefit to their career. Like any career investment, there is a cost. In governance, this is measured in time. Learning the subject, and attending training and meetings all have a time cost but the payback can be substantial. Governance really can be fun and you are making a tangible difference in the lives of the children in that school. Give it a try.
This article originally appeared in the June 2017 edition of UKEdChat Magazine.
@mm684 National Leader of Governance – Oldham, UK
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