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Bill Lord
Bill Lord talks openly about the challenges of his first year as a headteacher. Photograph: Paul Singleton
Bill Lord talks openly about the challenges of his first year as a headteacher. Photograph: Paul Singleton

Talking heads: how I got through my first year of headship

This article is more than 10 years old
Bill Lord tells Emily Drabble about a whirlwind first year as headteacher – and his efforts to curb the enthusiastic labrador puppy within

What did you do before you took up the headship of Long Sutton primary school last September?

After some years classroom teaching, I went into consultancy in my late 20s, near to start of the National Strategies, working with teachers to develop strategies for enhancing teaching and learning. I was deputy head at Carr Hill primary in Nottinghamshire from 2006-08 and then I went back into the strategies as literacy regional advisor in the Yorkshire and Humber region- until, after the general election, the Strategies ceased to exist from April 2011.

I naively thought this experience and these transferable skills would make it easy to move into headship. In fact, it was tough. My non-traditional route to headship was something governors struggled with it.

So I went to work as a learning and teaching consultant for Lincolnshire council and that's when the job at Long Sutton came up, originally as a secondment. I started in September 2012 and, after a couple of months, I had fallen in love with the place. I knew I wanted it to be in it for the long term. I was re-interviewed for the actual post in December 2012 and got the job.

How would you describe your style of headship when you first took up the post?

I think enthusiastic labrador puppy probably best sums it up. I felt a heady of mixture of confident and daunted. Luckily the previous head had left everything in place for me and had put together a team that was ready to fly. I consider myself very lucky with the staff I inherited.

Did the long gap between being a deputy head and a head impact on you?

To begin with, yes. I had so much 'big picture' experience and I knew how to impact on learning and teaching, but I had no experience of holding a fire drill or what the head should do on class photo day. I was unnervingly open with my staff about the help I needed.

What were your immediate aims for the school?

I knew I wanted to make sure we had a school where children would buzz about learning at all times. We are the only primary school in town so I wanted a community school where parents were proud to send their kids. Short term we had to get our standards up and make sure there was consistency across the whole school.

So how has this first year of headship gone?

This first year has been an amazing journey. I've never worked so hard, never doubted my intelligence so much and never enjoyed myself so much in my life. The rate of progress has been incredible. The team have stepped up so much and we've done two years work in one year. It's been quite a year but we've survived: norovirus, chicken pox, an outbreak of flu, school closure due to a water mains burst, Ofsted and HMI visits.

How did that Ofsted go?

Ofsted came to inspect the school five months after I started and it was too soon to judge. I baulk at complaining about Ofsted but we had a very tough team and were judged to be requiring improvement to be good (RI). My concern was being inspected by a team which hadn't got substantive school headship between them. I wholeheartedly welcome the move towards primary heads inspecting other primary schools: I want to be judged by my peers. The positive outcome of being graded RI was being given an HMI, who has come into school to work with us. That's really moved us on as a school.

What's been the biggest lesson you've learnt this year?

I think I've learnt that I'm a head, not a consultant in head's clothing. I'm used to coming into a school offering strategies and solutions. Now I'm learning I can't do everything; it's not all about me, it's about the team. We gave one assistant head pastoral and data to take care of and appointed a new assistant head to take responsibility for learning and teaching. The vision needs to come through the team and it's all about finding that balance.

What have been your biggest challenge?

I think it's been to make sure the pace of change is the one required by the children, parents, teachers and community – not the pace of change in my head. My senior leadership team (SLT) has put a laminated cloud on the inside of my cupboard so I can write my ideas on it. Then we can all discuss the ideas and work out if it's the right time to put them into practice. The labrador puppy is slowly being trained.

How do you support your staff through changes and challenges?

I'm constantly aware of the work-life balance of my staff. They give above and beyond, and it's vital to recognise that. One thing we've introduced is a 'duvet day'. Every member of staff – from cleaner to management – gets the equivalent of one of their working days off a year. They can use it for anything, from attending their own children's nativity plays to literally staying under the duvet. We need to look after each other. I'm acutely aware of the strength of my team and the effort they put in.

What keeps you awake at night?

The question: "What have have forgotten?" I have to keep a notepad next to the bed to jot things down.

What's on you to do list?

The first is to make sure everything we did last year is maintained and consistent across the school. This year has to be about consolidation and making sure everything is embedded. Second, to bring in more joy into what happens on a daily basis. We need to have rigour but we must make sure we are still laughing.

Third, moving from me saying 'let's do this' and my staff looking at me and saying, 'oh blimey', to staff suggesting things to me and I am the one who is excited or scared. It's happening already, sooner than I thought it would. Sustainability is the key and I've got no interest in being a hero head.

Bill Lord is headteacher of Long Sutton community primary school. Follow Bill on Twitter @Joga5.

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