The Link Headteacher Scheme
The Link Headteacher Scheme is designed to offer support and encouragement to headteachers who are in their first year of headship in a Church of England School. The scheme is designed to be sufficiently flexible to meet the individual requirement of new Heads but it is envisaged that the relationship will offer informal and confidential professional and pastoral support at specific points during the academic year and at other times if the need arises.
The purpose of the partnership is to:
- Familiarise new Headteachers with the local context
- Be a sounding board for new Heads
- Engage in professional dialogue regarding a range of pertinent topics
- Support new Headteachers in how to develop the Christian foundation of the school
- Signpost other sources of support if they are required
Who can become a Link Head teacher?
We are inviting experienced Church School Headteachers to join the scheme if:
· You have at least three years experience as a Church School Headteacher
· You have an Ofsted and SIAS judgement of good or outstanding for leadership
· You have experience of supporting the development of others within or beyond your school
· Your school has the leadership capacity to enable you to support another colleague without adversely effecting your leadership of your own institution
· You have a good understanding of the local context, are well connected to local education networks and are able to signpost specific expert professional support
We would like each link Headteacher to:
· Provide a passport size photo and a written profile of themselves and their school which will be included in the induction pack that is sent to the new Headteacher
· Telephone the new Headteacher to welcome them during the first week of the new term
· Arrange a meeting during the first half term at either school to organise an introductory meeting
· Attend the next Headteacher induction meeting organised by the Diocese with the new Head teacher
· Organise a reciprocal visit during the second half term
· Be available to undertake face-to-face meetings and telephone and email as required (to be agreed between the link Headteacher and the person being supported). We recommend organise two further meetings during the academic year (Spring/Summer terms) to support the new Headteacher as required
· Attend a celebratory event at the end of the summer term (when the new head has completed their first full year in post) to evaluate the scheme and share experiences). Wine and nibbles provided!
Depending on capacity, link Headteachers can support one to three new Head teachers at any one time.
We would ask the new Headteacher to:
· Attend the Headteacher induction meeting organised by the Diocese in order to meet with their link Headteacher
· Attend an introductory meeting during the first half term with their link Headteacher
· Organise a reciprocal visit during the second half term
· Maintain e-mail/telephone/face-to-face contact with their link head teacher during the Spring and Summer terms.
· Attend a celebratory event at the end of the summer term to evaluate the scheme and share experiences. Wine and nibbles provided!
New Head teachers should not expect link Head teachers to solve problems but should use the meetings to test out ideas, initiatives and developments and to share professional expertise.
Process of Allocation
Ideally, we will allocate a link Headteacher to the newly appointed head as soon as possible following appointment. This will enable the new Headteacher to seek support from the link Headteacher prior to taking up the appointment. Allocation will be on a case by case basis and by negotiation with all parties. However, we will always try to ensure that link Headteachers do not have any previous working relationship with new Headteacher. Consideration will be given to matching a link teacher with the needs of the new Headteacher and needs of his/her school.
Benefits of the Scheme
The benefit of the scheme for experienced link Headteachers include:
· An opportunity to support children and young people beyond your school by supporting new Headteachers in their schools
· An opportunity to work with and support new Headteachers experiencing challenges that you may have faced yourself as a new Headteacher
· Opportunities for staff in your school to develop their leadership skills in a controlled manner while you are supporting other new Headteachers
Benefits for newly qualified Headteachers include:
· An opportunity to reflect on the new role and engage in professional dialogue about the challenges of headship
· An opportunity for professional growth, improved technical expertise and accelerated learning in the context of leading a church school
· Support for emotional well-being (reduced feelings of isolation and stress)
1