HEAD OF

DEPARTMENT S
Pocket book
2nd edition
By Brin Best &
Will Thomas
Cartoons:
Phil Hailstone
3 H e a d o f D e p a r t m e n t s P o c k e t b o o k
C o n t e n t s
Introduction
Page
Managing
Your
Department
Effective
Documentation
Maximising
Student
Achievement
Raising the
Profile of Your
Department
Self-
evaluation
Further
Information
How to use this pocketbook
The departmental handbook, policies, schemes of work,
lesson planning, development plan
Including teaching and learning issues, working with individual
students, working with parents/carers, using data, inclusion,
behaviour management
Promoting your department, events, displays, working with the
media, making external links
An analytical framework for your department
Books and websites, contact details
4
9
75
83
103
109
126
Including leadership, planning and goals, creative thinking,
turning vision into action, working with and for your team, lesson
observation, managing meetings, developing and recruiting
people, managing stress, inspection, finance, health and safety
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M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t 10
The developing role of the head of
department
The head of departments role has become one of the most important to the success
of the school as a whole. Now that the spotlight is focused firmly on what is
happening in schools, qualities of great leadership
have never been so important at every level.
Heads of department are key players in the
business of raising standards in schools. The
National Standards for Subject Leaders published
by the DfE recognise the importance of their
role in raising standards in schools.
This book sets out to help you raise
your game, whether you are an
established or newly appointed head of
department.
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11 M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t
The department within the whole school
Targets for subject performance have become more demanding in recent years, and
all examination subjects make a key contribution to the schools success. Measures of
five A*-C GCSEs and value-added have increased accountability.
There is a balance to be struck between the needs of the department and those of
the school as a whole. Factors that might need to be considered in decision-making at
subject level include:
The impact on the student(s)
The impact on the department
The implications for other departments
The likely impact on the school as a whole
The public implications what will be seen externally?
The hidden implications what will go unnoticed or surface later?
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Leadership
M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t 12
Leadership and management defined
There is a distinction between management and leadership:
Leadership is about mission, direction and motivation. It is the expression of
vision and the motivation of others to achieve that vision. Louis and Miles (1990)
define it as, mission, direction and inspiration
Management is the expression of leadership; the mechanisms by which vision is
achieved. It is the, designing and carrying out of plansandgetting things
done (Louis and Miles 1990)
Leadership is the what?
And the why?
Management is the how?
And the when?
There is an interdependence between leadership and management in effective
departments. It can be tricky to distinguish pure leadership from pure management,
as many activities within each area actually overlap.
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Understand the
Issue
Formulate the goals
Build the solution
Share the solution
Implement
the solution
Monitor, feedback, assess
and reconstruct the solution
13 M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t
Models of leadership
In leading and managing, use a process for moving issues and teams forward.
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M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t 14
Vision in leadership
Vision is about possibility. A dream inspires people and galvanises them into action.
When visions are shared and built up within a team
they are powerful motivators. When teams all buy into
the same dream amazing things can happen.
Begin with generating and understanding your
departmental vision:
Have blue-sky discussions open discussions where there are no limits
Use phrases like:
- If there were no financial limitswhat would you want then?
- What if time was not an issuewhat would you want then?
- What if space was not an issuewhat would you want then?
Within this no limits time, set the rules. Ban sarcasm, putdowns and negativity
From the blue-sky vision begin to tie in the ideas generated with the whole school
targets provided by your senior leadership team, and from this formulate your goals.
Vision
today shapes your future
tomorrow
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15 M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t
Vision in leadership
A two part story:
In the following budget round they got their projectorbut it didnt end there
A department held their blue-sky discussion at the start of each school year. One year
a member of staff spoke passionately about how much she had enjoyed using the
departments multi-media projector in her lessons. She was sad that it was only
available once in a month due to demand. Staring into the air as she spoke, she said,
I have a dream that every science room has access to a projector for half of the week.
Gerry, who could be quite negative at times, said, Huh, pigs might fly.
Eric, the head of department, was more enthusiastic, commenting, What a great
vision. In the budget for the following year, Eric bid for one more projector. He
submitted with his budget, the five year vision for projectors one per room. He
explained how they would use them to improve teaching and learning, and how the
department could support skill development across the whole school.
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M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t 16
Vision in leadership
The story continued:
Three months later a deputy head told one of the governors the plans in science. I
have four projectors at work, said the governor. They are perfectly good projectors but
technology has improved and they are too bulky now for my reps to carry about. You
can have them for science if you wish, when we upgrade next year.
So within twelve months the department with one projector was now up to six!
A few months later the local mayor came into school for a visit. The head took visitors
to the department to show them the great work going on. At this time the school was
putting in a bid for specialist college status. The bid was successful and funding came in
to school.
The head went to Eric and said, What you have done in science with the projectors is
fantastic; we know you would like one more projector, but we feel that now others
should have the resources with the new money thats coming into school. However,
you have a store cupboard in your science area that I know you dont use fully. We
would like to turn it into a hi-tech classroom with a projector, which departments can
book and, of course, so can you.
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17 M a n a g i n g Y o u r D e p a r t m e n t
Vision in leadership
Developing the vision and communicating it puts
your future on the map. It raises your awareness
and that of others and increases the network of
people who know about it
When plans are exciting and take people to new
levels of thinking, great things can happen; success
breeds success
The department in the story had a vision
over five years, but they actually
achieved the vision ahead of this.
Once you know what you want and
you make it public the opportunities
often come to you
Share your vision and grow
the network of believers
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F u r t h e r I n f o r m a t i o n 128
About the authors
Brin Best BSc (Hons), PGCE, FRGS, FMA, managed an award-winning
geography department at Settle High School & Community College, prior to
joining the advisory staff at the Barnsley School Effectiveness Team. He is now
an education consultant specialising in school improvement and classroom
innovation. Brin has a keen interest in effective teaching and learning
strategies, and is carrying out a part-time doctoral research into this subject at
Leeds University. He writes and speaks widely on education issues.
He can be contacted via his website at www.brinbest.com
Will Thomas BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, MPNLP, led a highly successful science
faculty at South Bromsgrove Community High School & Technology College.
He has acted as an adviser to Worcestershire LA and prior to his teaching
career worked in personnel management with Marks and Spencer Plc. He is a
qualified personal development coach and runs Vision4Learning, a training
and personal development company, based in Malvern, Worcestershire,
providing services to schools, businesses and individuals. He is a consultant to
Alistair Smiths accelerated learning company ALITE. For enquiries and training
contact Will on +44 (0)1684 578754 and at info@visionforlearning.co.uk and
www.visionforlearning.co.uk