Linett’s
journey:
I have always worked with children, but my professional
teaching career began in 1994. I was a Head of Arts and an Assistant
Headteacher in different London schools. Whilst still in teaching,
I also ran numerous arts-based community projects throughout London
and I am proud to have a Millennuim Awards Fellowship.
I applied to Future Leaders because I passionately believe that
with outstanding leadership, every child can be helped to reach
their full potential, regardless of their background. It was refreshing
to find a programme that is specifically geared at developing leaders
for challenging urban schools where there is presently so much underachievement.
I have long wanted to lead such a school, but was well aware that
the task of leading it successfully requires a different approach.
This is why I feel the Future Leaders model of an intensive programme,
where participants learn directly from successful headteachers,
with a dedicated coach in a supportive network is crucial. I also
share the same beliefs as the Future Leaders team on what is needed
to ensure more children have a better future and my own experiences
of attending a challenging London secondary school has influenced
my opinions on this. I am excited about being on a programme that
I believe is going to a real difference to the way urban schools
are led in this country.
So far I have learnt that core values plays an important role in
leading a successful school and I have begun to identify the values
that I will uphold as a headteacher. I have also learnt from guest
speakers numerous strategies for success and skills that I will
need as a headteacher. This has included presentations on putting
vision into practise and the positive impact this has had on the
life of the students, their families and the wider community. I
have been opened up to more radical ways of thinking and have been
challenged through the variety of tasks I have undertaken as part
of my training including problem solving, leading groups and making
presentations. Through the personal stories of other participants
I have learnt more reasons why every child should be given the best
possible chance in life.
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Andy’s journey:
I was appointed as Headteacher of Hornsey School for Girls in Haringey
at the age of 36, one of the UK’s youngest secondary heads
at that time. I’ve been involved in developing student voice
initiatives for several years and am also particularly interested
in curriculum development, especially integrated curriculum models,
and learning styles. I passionately believe that all schools deserve
leaders of the highest quality and I am excited by the vision and
commitment of the Future Leaders programme in terms of developing
world-class leaders for challenging urban schools. Having aspired
to headship since I started my teaching career, I have always been
keen to support others with similar aspirations by sharing my own
experiences and insights and I recognise the importance of ensuring
that all teachers receive the highest possible standard of personal
professional development.
Hornsey School is a multicultural inner London comprehensive school
with 1,500 students. It is a complex organisation with significant
strengths but also some major challenges to address. The school
has experienced considerable change over the past two years and
has developed a reflective culture, opposed to any form of complacency.
The school has a large leadership team that combines both experienced
school leaders and those new to leadership. Linett, as Associate
Deputy Headteacher, will have a substantial and wide ranging brief,
addressing genuine areas of need within the school, to enable them
to have a significant impact over the course of the year and develop
the skills required to go on to Deputy Headship and, in due course,
Headship.
School leaders have a unique opportunity to be positive agents of
change in society. One of the greatest challenges facing the educational
world over the next five years is how to significantly raise achievement
among those students who have benefited the least from the interventions
used to raise achievement this far. The Future Leaders programme
has the potential to do just this: by developing school leaders
who are committed to serving school communities in the most challenging
locations, who recognise their responsibility and potential and
have the skill and tenacity to insist on the highest standards of
education for all.
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