Teach Primary Issue 18.5

school is. In short, do people get it? A positive culture should allow teachers to teach, ideally disruption free. It should allow pupils to learn and for the social norm to positively shift. Crucially, though, it should inspire everyone to be proud of the school and demonstrate great pride that they work for and/or attend your school. The other reality of a positive school culture (just like a negative one) is that it is infectious. It accumulates. You are able to build on it, year on year, and assuming you maintain an upward trajectory of positivity, you will find that your school gets better and better and better. This is where the restless school analogy, courtesy of Roy Blatchford, really comes into its own. As you build your school, and both behaviour and the curriculum are able to take their grip, you can then look to really sharpen your school improvement saw. Putting on the brakes It’s equally as important as a leader that you know when to say no. What actually needs doing, what is twaddle and what serves as a major distraction from your goals? I would recommend taking some time to consider the working week ahead and write down ten things you know you have to do. Then consider carefully whether those ten things help you to achieve your goals and/or actually need doing. Are they actually relevant? If not, ignore them. This is challenging for us all because as teachers we don’t like to say no, and often feel hugely guilty when we do. As Dylan Wiliam says, ‘If we create a culture where everyone believes they need to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better, there is no limit to what we can achieve.’ In order to do this, considering all of the points I have raised here, the key thing you need to do is lead with care. Sam Strickland is the principal of a large all-through school. He is the organiser of researchED Northampton and author of Education Exposed, Education Exposed 2, The Behaviour Manual and They Don’t Behave for Me . His latest book, Is Leadership a Race? (John Catt, £10.00) is available now from johncattbookshop.com and all major book retailers. ‘Teaching – Every Lesson Shapes a Life’ on a pastel blue background is the current DfE ‘Get into Teaching’ slogan. The accompanying television campaign shows pupils at school with smiling, inspirational teachers as nurturing figures. This narrative of inspiring leaders making a difference to young people has been the hook for initial teacher training for decades. So far, it hasn’t boosted the rate of recruitment. Maybe the reality of teacher workload, challenging pupil behaviour and, of course, OFSTED pressures is shouting louder than the idyllic images of teaching seen on screen. ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results’, wrote Rita Mae Brown. So can we learn lessons from industries that are deemed more desirable? Perhaps it’s time to change tack and attract teachers through other aspects of the profession. It goes without saying that teachers’ hard work and resilience make a difference to the lives of young people. However, apart from the warm, fuzzy feeling teachers are rewarded with, what else is in it for them? Most workers are attracted to professional development and financial rewards. We should further promote the extensive career development opportunities, which produce high-performing, skilled individuals. There are myriad career opportunities in education spanning beyond the classroom at senior leadership. Head teachers are amongst the top 10 per cent highest earners in the country. We rarely highlight the 13 weeks’ paid holiday a year, either, which some teachers use to embark on exciting adventures or save on childcare costs. And don’t forget that teachers benefit from a generous pension with an employer contribution of 28.6 per cent. Perhaps it’s time to create a new lifestyle brand for teaching that showcases more aspects of a well-regarded, financially secure career. Sarah Botchway is the director of the London South Teaching School Hub. As a teacher, she taught at all levels from primary to adults including headship in Lambeth. Does teaching need a new marketing strategy? L E ADERSH I P www.teachwire.net | 39