It amazes me that this is a new discussion in school leadership, but good to see. Change management is part of leadership outside of Ed; has been for *years*. I’m sure I’ll be told to get back into my box by those who tell me exp outside Ed is worthless. Good thread - Do read! https://twitter.com/TomRees_77/status/1198370431734075397

Managing change *does* require the knowledge of what needs to be improved, and why - that’s not as difficult as you’d think. Because a good leader knows when to pull in those with expertise in an area.

I think sch have been harmed by the ‘Cult of personality’, where Super Heads (& those from outside Ed) have dropped in with saviour complexes to “solve” issues, caused mayhem, then bounced off to their next role.

Transformational change *must* be sustainable, and those above Headship are responsible for what is acceptable here. If a sch is to fundamentally change for the better, then there needs to be clear objectives from the start with a realistic timeline. Cultural change is resisted.

To tackle this staff and Ss need to buy in to the purpose, & just like outside of Ed, that takes some convincing - “We’ve always done it this way”.
Sch need to know Ldrs are there for the long-haul, & will be there to see it through.

Staff voice is important. Listening to them, gaining (or bouncing off) ideas for change will help with the buy-in. Difficult if staff are entrenched in the former state. Hearts & minds is key to this - staff want to feel respected & valued; not like they’ve been wrong in it all.

Celebrate successes, even the small ones. Sing the praises of the work done by your teams. Appreciate & recognise them personally & publicly. Ed has a real issue with bullying culture from leadership. Tell & do management of staff won’t retain those you need on side.

There’s much sch leaders can learn from outside, and tweak to fit an Ed setting. Not everything is written in an academic paper. Experience of change management, done sustainably, has benefits for schs undergoing this.