About this course

Are you ready to take on the challenge of a senior role in a small school?

Do you want to develop your personal skills in dealing with others in a close school community?

Would you like to develop strategies for balancing a demanding workload?

This course is a must for anyone aspiring to a leadership role in a small school, whether it be a Preparatory School, Senior or all-through.  Small schools bring real challenges, not least because of the need to be involved in just about every aspect of running a school.  Unlike larger schools, there are very few people to share responsibilities.  You might currently be leading a small department with one or two others, yet to secure a leadership role you must be confident that you can lead a larger team in an interdependent community. 

Course Outcomes:

• Preparing you for a leadership position in a small school
• Enhance understanding of what exactly is involved
• Confidence to deal with the inevitable difficulties
• Strategies for managing your own workload
• Skills to lead and manage others

Course Outline:

Managing Yourself

Small school issues-what they are and how are they different from those in larger schools?

Being efficient: what jobs are worth your time and what aren’t?

Learning to delegate-practical tips based upon years at the chalkface

Balancing familiarity and distance within a small team-the tight rope of managing those you deal with.

Leading and Managing Others

Leadership styles – how to develop and deploy your skills effectively

Persuading others – getting the best from your team and your governors

Dealing with difficult situations – keeping calm and staying in control when faced with conflict or a crisis

Monitoring and Performance Management – formal and informal ways of knowing what’s going on

Managing Aspects of the Job

Curriculum and assessment – what the pupils are taught and how it’s organised

Pastoral and SEN – looking after the needs of your pupils

Other aspects: finance, public relations and marketing – keeping pupil numbers up and balancing the books

Inspections and regulations – making sure your school is compliant and inspection-ready