Scottish Government

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The consultation can be viewed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/17104149/41509

Dear Colleague

CONSULTATION ON REVISED STANDARD FOR HEADSHIP IN SCOTLAND

Introduction

Last year Jennifer Stewart's letter of 17 February informed colleagues where we were in relation to the evaluation of the Standard for Headship and invited comments on a draft revised Standard that was prepared by a small representative working party. Since then, however, the publication of "ambitious, excellent schools: our agenda for action" in November 2004 has set a new agenda in relation to school leadership. The following commitments were identified:-

• establish a leadership academy, by the end of 2005, to give access to world class thinking on school leadership and to allow the sharing of experience of school leaders;

• revise the Standard for Headship in 2005 to ensure it continues to reflect shared leadership priorities in education;

• establish new routes to achieve the Standard for Headship, during 2006, to provide choice and alternatives to the Scottish Qualification for Headship; and

• recommend new and more rigorous procedures for selecting headteachers to take effect from the end of 2005.

The Leadership Sub-group of the Continuous Professional Development Advisory Group (see Annex A) was charged with:-

• redefining the Standard for Headship;

• developing alternative routes to achieving the Standard;

• considering headteacher appointment processes and make recommendations; and

• supporting development of the Leadership Academy.

They have prepared a draft revision of the Standard for Headship as the first step in delivering on these commitments and this consultation exercise invites your comments on the draft revised Standard. We are committed to ensuring that those candidates currently undertaking the Scottish Qualification in Headship ( SQH) are not affected by the outcome of this exercise. We are aware that consideration will need to be given to transition arrangements, and that any change to the Standard which needs to be reflected in the SQH course content will require further discussion with the consortia involved. This is an important second step and will be undertaken following the completion of the consultation exercise. Views will be sought in relation to the other commitments listed above in due course. The first page of the draft revised Standard for Headship sets out in detail the background to the need to revise this document and sets out the context within which it will be read.

In producing this draft the Group considered the balance between setting out key elements of professionalism and providing examples of good practice. The draft Standard has therefore been written to highlight broad areas of professional actions but contains an appendix exemplifying good practice. The Group would welcome the views of colleagues on this balance. Highlighted below are some further areas that they would particularly like colleagues to consider. These are:-

• is the focus on "Professional actions of the headteacher" helpful?

• is the Standard comprehensive or does it need more detail? If so where?

• is this an effective statement of current requirements?, if not what is missing?

• are the contributory elements named appropriately? If not what should they be called?

• the professional action "Building community" includes a reference to the spiritual wellbeing of children and their families - is it appropriate to include this?

We would welcome responses to these questions in particular along with comments on any other aspect of the draft Standard.

It is of course recognised that the Standard will need to be subjected to periodic review in order that it remains relevant and continues to be a useful tool in improving leadership in our schools.

Background

The original Standard for Headship sets out the key aspects of professionalism and expertise required for effective school leadership and management. The Standard was established in 1998 to provide a framework for a professional programme of training for headship and define the level of competency required of effective headteachers. The three elements which were identified as underpinning the professional practice of school leadership and management are: professional values; management functions; and professional abilities. The current route by which the Standard is achieved is through the Scottish Qualification for Headship ( SQH). Sponsorship of teachers undertaking this qualification is supported by the Executive through the distribution of funding to Local Authorities.

Responding to this consultation paper

We are inviting written responses to this consultation paper by Friday 30 September. Please send your response to:

Headship@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

or

Scott Brand
Teachers Division
2-A (Dockside)
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

If you have any queries contact Scott Brand on 0131 244 0350.

We would be grateful if you could clearly indicate in your response which questions or parts of the consultation paper you are responding to as this will aid our analysis of the responses received.

This consultation, and all other Scottish Executive consultation exercises, can be viewed online on the consultation web pages of the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations. You can telephone Freephone 0800 77 1234 to find out where your nearest public internet access point is.

The Scottish Executive now has an email alert system for consultations ( SEconsult: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/seconsult.aspx). This system allows stakeholder individuals and organisations to register and receive a weekly email containing details of all new consultations (including web links). SEconsult complements, but in no way replaces SE distribution lists, and is designed to allow stakeholders to keep up to date with all SE consultation activity, and therefore be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most interest. We would encourage you to register.

Handling your response

We need to know how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be made public. Please complete and return the Respondent Information Form attached to this letter at Annex B as this will ensure that we treat your response appropriately. If you ask for your response not to be published we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Executive are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

Next steps in the process

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public (see the attached Respondent Information Form), these will be made available to the public in the Scottish Executive Library and on the Scottish Executive consultation web pages by Friday 14 October. We will check all responses where agreement to publish has been given for any potentially defamatory material before logging them in the library or placing them on the website. You can make arrangements to view responses by contacting the SE Library on 0131 244 4565. Responses can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for this service.

What happens next ?

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us reach a decision on a revised Standard for Headship. We aim to issue a revised Standard by December 2005.

Comments and complaints

If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to Scott Brand whose details are given earlier in this letter. Some general information on the Scottish Executive Consultation Process is given in Annex C.

Yours sincerely

JOHN GUNSTONE

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY GROUP

Membership

Chair - Donald Henderson, Head of Teachers Division, SEED

Wray Bodys, HMIE, Scottish Executive

Margaret Doran, Association of Directors of Education Scotland

Findlay Ferguson, Association of Headteachers in Schools

Bill Fitzpatrick, Scottish Secondary Teachers Association

John Gunstone, Teachers Division, Scottish Executive

George Haggerty, Headteachers Association of Scotland

Kate Gibson, Cosla

Catherine Macaslan, Universities Scotland

Matthew MacIver, General Teaching Council Scotland

Dougie Mackie, Educational Institute for Scotland

Judith McClure, Headteacher, St George's School for Girls

Scott Brand, Teachers Division, Scottish Executive (Secretary)

SUB-GROUP ON LEADERSHIP

Membership

Chair - Graham Thomson, Head of Service, Moray Council

Margaret Alcorn, CPD Co-ordinator, National CPD Team

Gillian Brydson, Education Officer CPD, Dumfries & Galloway Council

Fiona Carlisle, HMIE, Scottish Executive

Graeme Finnie, Consultant on Leadership Academy

John Gunstone, Teachers Division, Scottish Executive

Judith McClure, Headteacher, St George's School

Danny Murphy, Headteacher, Lornshill Academy

Joanne Scott, Headteacher, Killearn Primary School

Scott Brand, Teachers Division, Scottish Executive (Secretary)

THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE CONSULTATION PROCESS

Consultation is an essential and important aspect of Scottish Executive working methods. Given the wide-ranging areas of work of the Scottish Executive, there are many varied types of consultation. However, in general, Scottish Executive consultation exercises aim to provide opportunities for all those who wish to express their opinions on a proposed area of work to do so in ways which will inform and enhance that work.

The Scottish Executive encourages consultation that is thorough, effective and appropriate to the issue under consideration and the nature of the target audience. Consultation exercises take account of a wide range of factors, and no two exercises are likely to be the same.

Typically Scottish Executive consultations involve a written paper inviting answers to specific questions or more general views about the material presented. Written papers are distributed to organisations and individuals with an interest in the issue, and they are also placed on the Scottish Executive web site enabling a wider audience to access the paper and submit their responses Consultation exercises may also involve seeking views in a number of different ways, such as through public meetings, focus groups or questionnaire exercises. Copies of all the written responses received to a consultation exercise (except those where the individual or organisation requested confidentiality) are placed in the Scottish Executive library at Saughton House, Edinburgh (K Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD, telephone 0131 244 4565).

All Scottish Executive consultation papers and related publications (eg, analysis of response reports) can be accessed at: Scottish Executive consultations

The views and suggestions detailed in consultation responses are analysed and used as part of the decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. Depending on the nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may:

• indicate the need for policy development or review

• inform the development of a particular policy

• help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals

• be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented

Final decisions on the issues under consideration will also take account of a range of other factors, including other available information and research evidence.

While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body.

Scottish Qualification for Headship - Consultation List 2005

Association of Headteachers in Scotland

Capability Scotland

Catholic Education Commission Scotland

Catholic Headteachers Association of Primary

Catholic Headteachers Association of Scotland

Chief Executives of Local Authorities

Church of Scotland

CPD Advisory Group

Commission for Racial Equality

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

Craighalbert Centre

Deans of Faculties of Education

Directors of Education in Scotland

Disability Rights Commission

Donaldson's College for The Deaf

East Park School

Educational Institute of Scotland

Equal Opportunities Commission

Faculty of Advocates

Forum on Scottish Education

General Teaching Council for Scotland

Harmeny Education Trust

Headmasters Conference

Headteachers Association of Scotland

Her Majesties Inspectorate of Schools

Jordanhill School Board Managers

Leadership Advisory Group

Learning and Teaching Scotland

National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers in Scotland

Professional Association of Teachers

Royal Blind School

Scottish Catholic Education Service

Scottish Civic Forum

Scottish Consumer Council

Scottish Council of Independent Schools

Scottish Parent Teacher Council

Scottish School Boards Association

Scottish Secondary Teacher's Association

Scottish Teacher Education Institutions

Scottish Secondary Teacher's Association

St Mary's Episcopal Primary School