As we entered a period of global crisis in Spring 2020, the balance of the role played by schools began to shift significantly. While we have always been a key resource in community cohesion and provision, the shock of the pandemic and lockdowns led to changes in not only how we educate, but also how we lead beyond our school gates. School leaders found themselves interpreting unprecedented laws and processes for the health and safety of their staff and students, but also acting on the immediate needs of their communities and those whose disadvantage couldn’t wait for potential national government decisions.
At the time, I happened to be working on my MA dissertation about values-led leadership in the light of external ‘threats’ and my focus very quickly shifted to what Headteachers could tell me about their experiences through the pandemic. I interviewed many of them in 2021 and in this session, we’ll look at what they learned and the lessons we can take forwards as we look ahead to further waves of community crises and needs.
We’ll explore what they said about
· autonomy, confidence and decision making
· relationships with their communities, staff and students
· what they learned about their school’s changed role in community provision
These areas raise some interesting discussion points for the future as we can consider how these experiences can shape a school’s response to future crises.
Do leaders now lead more boldly to meet the needs of their school community, and if so, what kind of impact does this have on the fine balance between individual autonomy and wider accountability?
Does what we’ve learned about increased community and parental engagement with our schools have longevity and the potential for continuing to make relationships even more positive and beneficial?
Is there now clarity about the extent to which individual schools can assist their communities beyond their traditional roles and more knowledge about how they can liaise with other providers and agencies as new challenges arise?
Of course, there is nothing new about schools being at the heart of local community and social provision, but our experiences of recent years has shown us how this has evolved to meet unexpected needs. As we see our communities facing new social, economic and health crises, are we more prepared and what do we know we can and will do? As leaders at every level, it is our understanding of what we and others have learned, how we enact our values and defining our commitment to change that will make the biggest difference to the communities we serve. We share, discuss and move forward, together.
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