Maintaining a consistent set of values and principles to support your vision

Click below, if you’d rather listen.

The trouble with schools is that they find it hard to stick to their vision and underpinning values and/or principles

In the past I’ve been criticised by some who want me to skip the vision and get straight onto the action.  I’ve never apologised for doing this and I make no apologies here.  If we’re to explore the nature of schooling and establish the changes we want to see in schooling, not only is it essential to establish the nature of our vision, but our values and principles underpinning this vision.  These will be the foundations upon which we can build our concept of schooling.  They will provide the direction, purpose and motivation. 

Many schools spend time with their staff, governors (the better schools also consult with students and parents) to form a vision which is celebrated by all when first launched, put up around the school (sometimes) and onto the front page of the school website and/or in the prospectus.  And then sadly, in most cases, it is left there alone barely looked at until it is reviewed a few years later. 

I’ve been guilty of this.  In my first school as Principal, I was anxious to form a grand vision for the school which I accomplished in consultation with all those mentioned above.  The resulting vision was as follows:

These were very well-meaning statements which put young people at the centre.  I haven’t been in a school that does not want to do this.  However, this was my first headship and the burden of accountability weighed down on me.  It was a high-profile school with a new building opened by the deputy Prime minister. I knew we had to not only appear to be doing well, but produce good results at all costs (By ‘results’ I mean the quality of qualifications our pupils left with).  On top of this, the school had been closed following a damming report by Ofsted (The English school inspection body).  It was being branded as a new, reopened school; I was the new Principal and Ofsted wanted to see rapid improvements.  

All my principles were thrown aside and the school staff, also under pressure, followed suit. I might as well have written the following vision:

So, take a good close look at your child’s school. Ignore the eloquent statements of intent in the school literature or on the walls and have a close look at the day-to-day practices. What do the lessons look like? Are they learning sessions (as the school may like to call them) or are they good old traditional lessons, just like the ones you experienced as a child (and probably your parents and grandparents too)? How is poor behaviour dealt with? How frequently is your regional or national inspection body discussed? How often are the outcomes of national examinations mentioned? Are students or parents really being listened to? What follow-up is there to student any student voice sessions?  

Now go back to the school vision statement and accompanying statements.  Are there any contradictions? To what extent will these contradictions knock the school off its course to achieving its vision?  

This also applies to home-schooling.  There ought to be a vision for your child’s education and a set of values you abide by.  Like schools, in what ways are you distracted by this?  Being aware of these distractions is the first step to becoming more consistent and mindful of your values and principles. 

NEXT

I’m conscious that one of my aims is to empower you to challenge your child’s school or to challenge yourself if you home school.  If you are now chomping at the bit to go into your child’s school to challenge the inconsistencies you see, wait a bit, there is more to consider first.   In my last newsletter, we looked at the purpose of schooling and established a vision for schooling – ensuring young people develop the wherewithal to flourish i n life.   In the next newsletter we’ll begin to look at some of the values and principles underpinning this. Doing this will hopefully uncover a set of values which are grounded in what I believe are first principles of schooling (I’m setting myself up to be shot down, but it’ll make for good discussion!)

On another note, I have carried out my first interview with a home-schooling parent.  I’m currently putting this together and will publish this in parts soon.  I also have a few more lined up. 

Note:

Warning, this is a blatant plug for my book!  Much of the discussion above was paraphrased from a section of my book “A Head Full Of Ethos” published by Crown House Publishing 2022 and available from them or all major online book sellers. 

Header image taken from: https://brodzinski.com/2014/08/practices-principles-values.html