Principle of School Leadership Rizza Mermejo

Sir Mark Ephraim Ayano

Module 5
The core purpose of the head teacher is to provide professional leadership and
management for the school within the context of the Trust Deed. This will promote a secure
foundation from which to achieve high standards in all areas of the school’s work. To gain this
success the head teacher must establish high quality education by effectively managing
teaching and learning and using personalized learning to realize the potential of all pupils.
The head teacher is the leading professional in the school. Accountable to the governing
body, the head teacher provides vision, leadership and direction for the school and ensures that
it is managed and organized to meet its aims and targets. The head teacher, working with
others, is responsible for evaluating the school’s performance to identify the priorities for
continuous improvement and raising standards; ensuring equality of opportunity for all;
developing policies and practices; ensuring that resources are efficiently and effectively used to
achieve the school’s aims in accordance with its mission statement, and for the day-to-day
management, organization and administration of the school.
The Key outcomes of headship are expressed in terms of outcomes for schools, pupils,
teachers, parents and governors. Professional knowledge and understanding are expressed as
16 separate areas of knowledge. The TTA (1998, p.6) states that these areas “are relevant to all
schools, although some aspects will need to be interpreted differently according to the phase,
size and type of school”, a recognition of the need to balance generic and school-specific
knowledge.
In the key areas of headship includes strategic direction and development of the school
teaching and learning, leading and managing staff, effective and efficient deployment of staff
and resources and accountability. These are central to the NPQH expected to meet and
demonstrate before being awarded the qualification. This approach to leadership and
leadership development is also open to the criticism that it fragments and oversimplifies the
requirements for headship. Glatter (1999, p.259), for example, warned that “the standards
were in danger of fostering an excessively atomised and disaggregated approach which would
not reflect the realities of the job”. It also plays little attention to the different school contexts
likely to be experienced by new heads.
This approach to leadership and leadership development is also open to the criticism
that it fragments and oversimplifies the requirements for headship. Glatter (1999, p.259), for
example, warned that “the standards were in danger of fostering an excessively atomised and
disaggregated approach which would not reflect the realities of the job”. It also plays little
attention to the different school contexts likely to be experienced by new heads.
 School leaders, particularly principals, have a key role to play in setting direction and
creating a positive school culture including the proactive school mindset, and supporting and
enhancing staff motivation and commitment needed to foster improvement and promote
success for schools in challenging circumstances.