Preview

What Makes an Effective Senior Leadership Team (Slt)?

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2159 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Makes an Effective Senior Leadership Team (Slt)?
What makes an effective senior leadership team (SLT)?

The nature of an effective a senior leadership team (SLT) will be the topic of this essay. The idea of team work and various models of SLT will be covered linking their roles, strategy, values and pitfalls. I will interlace this essay with some personal experience and relevant literature Belbin and Fullan to conclude through an historical analogy, my personal understanding of what SL T represents.

The combination of words in the sentence “Effective Senior Leadership Team” brings together an amalgam of important and decisive words, which individually symbolise strong individual qualities. None the less, one word effectively links the whole sentence into one, “team”. According Belbin (1993), the word “team” stems from the idea of sport and play where individual players hold specific positions in a given task in sync with a sense of reliability and trust.
A School Leadership Team is usually constituted of the head teacher and deputy head. However, depending on the size of the school, the team vary in size, often, Assistant Head Teachers or Senior Teachers hold particular responsibilities such as leading a specific the key stages or assessment across the school. The team may also include the Special Needs Co-coordinator (SENCO) and increasingly the School Business Manager (SBM).

According to an independent study into school leadership (DfES, 2007) five essential “models” of SLT can be put in place (see diagram 1.1), so to hold a positive impact on the positive children’s attainment.
The report argues that in comparison with SLT models, leadership behaviours appear to be an essential aspect on the positive impact on pupils’ performance. However, via the progress and creation of new leadership models, the right leadership behaviour can be cultivated (DfES, 2007, see index page 8).
Figure 1.1 Five models of School Leadership

[pic]

It is interesting to note from this diagram, the overlapping of the



References: Fullan. M, 2009, Large-scale reform comes of age, Oise/university of Toronto, published online Springer Science + Business Media B.V. Fullan. M, 2010, The Big Ideas Behind whole system reform, Canada, Article Vol. 50, Canadian Education Association Fullan .M, Cuttress Davies. B, Davies .B.J, Ellison. L, 2005, Success and sustainability : developing the strategically focuses school, Extracts available www.ncsl.org.uk/media-75c-d2-success-and-sustainability.pdf ( accessed on web learn December 2010) Greene Models of different school Leadership Teams: The “Traditional model” includes specifically qualified teaching staff and typically the head teacher, deputy and/or assistant heads (DfES, 2007)

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to the self-assessment each member in group A took, the team is formed by individuals who in the majority possess Cautious Style characteristics and are influenced by the recessive styles of Steadiness and Interactive. As a whole the team can be defined as a goal or task oriented group whose members are very organized, prefer precision and accuracy when setting up goals for themselves and/or company. In order to be effective within our team, each member will be further analyzed and assigned to a job according to their characteristics which should help lead the group as a whole to reach or exceed expectations. Although there is no specific set of characteristics that makes a leader successful, it is the interpretation and approach of those same characteristics or skills that are used in various situations to effectively drive results.…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The senior management team is usually made up of the head teacher and deputy head. However depending on the school size the team could be bigger and more varied. Often you will find assistant head teachers or senior teachers with particular responsibilities – like leading one of the key stages or something like…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    | “The top 10 features of an effective team are: * clear purpose; * open communication; * constructive conflict; * effective problem-solving and decision making; * defined roles, responsibilities and accountability; * strong relationships; * systems and procedures; * experimentation and creativity; * measurement and self-assessment; * shared leadership.” For a team to be effective, they need to have clear boundaries on what their job role is and any responsibilities relating to their job, and clear goals to give the team direction. Policies and Procedures are put into place and adhered to. Monthly supervisions, annual appraisals, daily diaries and communication books are used to ensure all staff are made aware of changes and continuity is maintained for the service users. “Positive leadership” also plays an important role, where managers are able to identify strengths and weaknesses within a staff team and utilise strengths while providing training and support for weaknesses. Training is also a key feature as it instils confidence within staff and helps staff to bond, improving relationships within the staff team. Conflicts are resolved with “healthy, professional confrontation” enabling staff to air their views and respond to others with issues. “Effective leaders are a bit like cheerleaders for the team, they encourage and support members who are committed and actively with their teams and engage those members who aren’t participating.”…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Senior Management Team – this is usually the head teacher and the deputy or and including the head of departments. The Special Needs Co-Ordinator could also be a member. Their role is to set and manage the strategic direction of the school. They also lead changes and generally make sure that the school is doing its best to deliver the strategic direction for the pupils that attend the school.…

    • 1398 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The senior management is usually made of the head teacher and the deputy head. Depending on the size of the school, the team could be made bigger and more varied. You will often find assistant head teachers or senior teachers with particular responsibilities- like sorting out the teachers timetables and duties (lunchtime duty, break duty, corridor duty in the mornings etc..) or responsible for assessments, sorting out training for staff and reviews for the pupils. The special needs co-ordinator…

    • 1398 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This is usually a team of people who have the responsibility of running the school – they will be made up of a variety of people who have links with the school and local community. We have at least a parent governor and a staff governor in addition to the Head Teacher. They contribute to setting the aims and…

    • 1673 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are several different leadership styles used within the public services. Therefore there are many varied suggestions that define someone as being a strong leader. However a ‘leadership style’ is a unique style that people recognise to encourage or influence other people in a way others do not so that they admire and want to be like. A team leader’s role in the public services is to provide instruction and direction and guidance and leadership this is to help inspire and encourage the team to reach their goals and aims. They have to keep the team focused on there current task or tasks and be able to communicate within their group effectively. Team spirit needs to be kept positive so that this ensures that tasks assigned are completed on time and that the group’s standards are always kept high.…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    510 Lead And Manage A Team

    • 2261 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The features of effective team performance is set up through positive leadership, this is something which is developed and nurtured. An effective team will work together, be focused and all the time supporting each other along the way to achieve and reach goals. For a team to be effective, each team member needs to be clear on their roles and responsibilities relating to their job. Team performance will be more effective if there is respect for the leader/manager and an understanding towards their job role and responsibility. The leader/manager should also be aware of the skills or weakness within the team and be able to provide support were necessary and also utilise their strengths. Training and support will enable staff to improve performance, develop confidence and lift spirit within the team. A leader should encourage any conflicts to be resolved through healthy, professional confrontation and willingly and openly negotiate necessary changes. Effective leaders are a bit like cheerleaders for the team, they encourage and support members who are committed and actively with their teams and engage those members who aren’t participating.…

    • 2261 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The ISLLC standards provide high-level guidance and insight about the traits, functions of work, and responsibilities expected of school and district leaders (ISLCC, 2008). Their main purpose is to increase understanding of how educational administrators can enhance teaching practices and student learning. As future school leaders it is imperative that we use these standards as tools in assisting us when making a decision regarding our stakeholders. However, applying the ISLLC standards in a school setting does not guarantee success for a school leader, but it does facilitate the process in creating a positive school culture in a learning environment, which is essential in a school setting.…

    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    2.1 Describe roles and responsibilities of school governors, senior management team, and other statutory roles (e.g. SENCO), teachers, support staff…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unit 1

    • 3181 Words
    • 13 Pages

    The quality of support, guidance and care provided for pupils and their families is strength. The head teacher provides dedicated leadership. In a relatively short period of time he has developed a good team spirit with a common purpose amongst the staff.…

    • 3181 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Stand and Deliver

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze the leadership behaviors noted in the movie Stand and Deliver. This movie was about a teacher who stood up to the school administration, his family, and the community to help a group of underprivileged, mostly Spanish children from an LA ghetto excel in mathematics. Eventually his teaching program had the teenagers passing AP calculus. Despite officials stating the students cheated, hostile students, an unorganized and underfunded school, and a school staff who was not motivated to help his cause or the schools, somehow this teacher rose above and began a program that changed lives.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    WGU EGT1 Task 2

    • 135 Words
    • 1 Page

    The superintendent and school board hiring of a principal is the ultimate judge of that individual’s ability to adequately serve as the leader in a particular school. According to Marques (2013), “Perceptions of employees about the qualities they expect from their leaders have undergone a significant change”. The superintendent and school board must have a clear understanding of what characteristics are associated with a principal who will serve as the instructional leader as well as responsible for managing the operational component of the school. The superintendent and his/her committee should examine and be familiar with the following leader keys standards and knowledgeable…

    • 135 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This team will work closely with the head teacher. The team is usually made up of more experienced staff i.e. deputy head teacher, SENCO coordinator etc. This team will regularly meet to discuss issues which may have arisen and make decisions concerning the running of the school. They will also discuss how inform other staff.…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The features of effective team performance is set up through positive leadership, this is something which is developed and nurtured. An effective team will work together, be focused and all the time supporting each other along the way to achieve and reach goals. For a team to be effective, each team member needs to be clear on their roles and responsibilities relating to their job. Team performance will be more effective if there is respect for the leader/manager and an understanding towards their job role and responsibility. The leader/manager should also be aware of the skills or weakness within the team and be able to provide support were necessary and also utilise their strengths. Training and support will enable staff to improve performance, develop confidence and lift spirit within the team. A leader should encourage any conflicts to be resolved through healthy, professional confrontation and willingly and openly negotiate necessary changes. Effective leaders are a bit like cheerleaders for the team, they encourage and support members who are committed and actively with their teams and engage those members who aren’t participating.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays