Headteacher Recruitment and Retention Working Group: 25 June 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Laurence Findlay, Association of Directors of Education Scotland (Chair) 

• Zak Tuck, Scottish Government (Secretariat) 

• Andrene Bamford, EIS

• Lesley Whelan, Education Scotland 

• Greg Dempster, AHDS 

• Graham Hutton, SLS

• Nik James, NASUWT

Apologies 

• Stuart Robb, Scottish Government
• Aleksandra Jonca, Scottish Government 
• Shagufta Nasar, SAMEE
• Archie Glen, Community
• Stuart Bain, COSLA
• Victoria Smith, General Teaching Council for Scotland 
• Lindsey Stanley, Moray Council, ADES Personnel Network 
• Zoè Robertson, Scottish Council of Deans of Education  
• Seamus Searson, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association 
• Barbara Coupar,  Scottish Catholic Education Service
• Jen Crockett, Association of Directors of Education Scotland

Items and actions

Welcome & Introductions 

The Chair extended a warm welcome to all attendees. Noted that John Devine has retired.

Minutes and Updated Action Log  

The minutes of the previous meeting on 12 March 2024 were agreed.

An updated was provided on the centre for teaching excellence co-production group. The final meeting of the group was in June. The centre will focus on research and knowledge sharing and the group stressed that teachers should be a core part of shaping the work of the centre. Final specification was to be developed by Scottish Government. Anticipated centre will be situated at one university, identified through a procurement process.

Members commented that it was important teachers had the time and space to engage with the centre. Available budget for the centre needs to be confirmed. Would be helpful to haver clarity between the centre and the new education agency, although indication is the centre won’t be directly involved in professional learning. Members interested in links between research on school leadership and the centre and ensuring this did not fall between the gaps. Also interest in how the new inspectorate will link to the centre.

 

Education Workforce Modelling and Research Report

A summary was provided on the Education Workforce Modelling and Research Report, which was commissioned by Scottish Government and published in May. This report looked at various scenarios for future education workforce resources’ based on projected reductions to the school-aged population in Scotland over the next decade.

Members commented it would be helpful to look at impact of rural depopulation on school leadership models, in any future iterations of this work and suggested a ‘real-world lens’ is required to look at the theoretical findings in the report.

In terms of next steps, the report will inform discussion at SNCT on class contact time reductions. If members felt there was a missing piece on leadership, they could consider making the case to Scottish Government that this should be considered for additional research.

Members asked for an update on the job sizing review group, the chair referred to a reply from Cosla dated 17 March 2024, which has been shared with members and which stated the review is making good progress and is nearing its final stages.

 

Headteacher Recruitment And Succession Planning – Draft Information And Data Paper 2024   

Members reviewed that draft updated 2024 paper. It was noted that the diversity stats would not be updated until diversity data is published in September.

Suggestion of including a date range in table 4. Query regarding availability of data on individuals who achieved the Standard for Headship through other routes. Also query re availability of data on individuals leaving teaching and teachers stepping back from e.g. being a headteacher to being a depute headteacher or a class teacher, and depute headteachers  who undertook Into Headship, but did not want to progress to headship.

It was noted that the potential gathering of additional data will be covered in discussion on the Headteacher Recruitment and Retention Working Group (HTRRWG) workplan. Point made about emerging findings from the Economic and Social Research Council’s Sustainable School Leadership project and how we ensure these are informing discussions at this group.

HTRRWG Workplan Development  - Overarching Aim

Workplan includes a draft overarching aim - to improve the recruitment and retention of headteachers in Scotland with a key focus on workforce planning, diversity, promoting the attractiveness of the headteacher role, and professional learning for aspiring and current headteachers.

Members were asked if they were content with the aim, was there anything vital missing, and would they like to suggest a revised version.

Comments included there should be a focus on ‘developing’ and ‘promoting’ the headteacher role and the group should consider ways to make the role more attractive. Should also include understanding and addressing the barriers to becoming a headteacher, to improve recruitment and retention.

Suggestion of reviewing notes from HTRRWG sub-groups held in 2022 to revisit the barriers identified through that process. Lobbying and highlighting issues to other forums, such as Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE), as well as the Scottish Government, was also suggested as an important aim.

HTRRWG Workplan Development – Outcomes and Actions

Members were presented with 3 suggested outcomes and were asked to consider if each outcome helps achieve the overarching aim; whether they need to be delivered now; and whether HTRRWG has the levers required to deliver the outcome.

Outcome 1 - Workforce planning and increasing diversity of headteachers

Headteacher recruitment and retention demands and challenges are better understood locally and nationally through the gathering and dissemination of data, including on diversity of aspiring and current headteachers, to improve longer-term succession planning and increase diversity.

Discussion on the need of this group to create links to other forums and highlight issues that sit outside the direct influence of this group. For example, challenges related to rurality, funding for additional support needs, time to undertake additional training.

Also suggestion of an annual conference involving SBTE and all the subgroups to provide updates on work and make connections across the workstreams.

Outcome 2 - Improving the promotion of headship as a valued role

Headteachers are valued and headship is recognised and better promoted as important, complex and impactful work, improving the attractiveness and appeal of the role and addressing issues related to workload and sustaining headteachers in post.

The group discussed the wording of the outcome and agreed that better promoting headship would not, in itself, improve the attractiveness of the role. Instead, there should be a focus on addressing issues that would increase the desirability of headship.

Group agreed that diversity in headship application processes across authorities was actually beneficial in providing opportunities for a wider pool of candidates to consider applying. There was agreement that the openness and transparency of appointment processes and promoting diversity were important and the group should maintain oversight.

It was suggested that the role of this group should be to examine and articulate the challenges that need to be addressed to increase the desirability of headship and to highlight and lobby for these issues to be addressed in other forums, such as SBTE and the successor group to the Scottish Education Council. Job sizing, pay and leave specification, workload and a lack of resources were mentioned as key examples.

The group also discussed positive examples of individuals moving into headship under different more flexible models, such as job shares, some home working, self-imposed limits on hours worked in a week and then seeking to promote these positive examples in other areas across Scotland.

Discussion about the group potentially focussing on print and social media and working to challenge negative stories about teaching, protect individuals and promote more positive aspects.

Outcome 3 - professional learning for aspiring and current headteachers / school leaders

Aspiring and current headteachers can access a range of professional learning and progress their skills, knowledge and expertise through career pathway opportunities.

It was suggested that some of the work under this outcome sits elsewhere. For example, the Into Headship strategic oversight group and workstream three of SBTE, on the framework for teacher education and development, but it was important for this Group to have oversight. Stressed importance of a national and local professional learning offer for aspiring and current headteachers, to support them in the challenges they face in undertaking the role effectively.

Discussion on importance of supervision support for school leaders and mention of a pilot in Highland and a supervision trial in Fife. There could be other examples this Group could learn from and a suggestion of focussing on ensuring such opportunities are available and accessible to a broader range of people. A coaching strategy also being developed by Education Scotland, could also be relevant.

Further discussion about ensuring equity of access to professional learning for teachers aspiring to headship (and those in headship) and this Group having a role in identifying common challenges for new headteachers, and feeding this back to other forums.