Introduction

For many years we have developed our sense of the fundamental role that middle leaders play within the school.

This celebrates the best that we have seen. We draw a number of conclusions following our experience about what makes really outstanding subject leadership. In doing so, we aim to develop consistency across the school, to drive up student attainment and to deliver outstanding progress. 

Great middle leaders grasp quickly the importance of securing great results within their subject areas. They understand that securing the best outcomes for students is at the heart of what they do, and they strive to ensure the highest quality of provision. 

Subject leaders must be able to turn their vision into a clear plan for the subject team so that the work of the team can be managed effectively throughout the year.  

This guidance is intended as a reference in your leadership. We suggest, that as you seek to find solutions you will need to talk to peers, to other leaders and to research leadership and subject delivery. 

Leading Effectively 

What type of leader are you going to be? 

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly.” –Jim Rohn 

Several years ago, we had some discussion some about the kind of behaviours that we wanted to exhibit as leaders. Of course, everyone brings difference qualities to their leadership. Our identifies standards were as follows;

Why?	Behaviour
Staff can face all sorts of challenges in a school. Being positive helps to steer your teams through challenging circumstance and make them understand the possible	Be positive
The team is always more important than the individual ego of the leader. We all like to be told we are doing a good job.	celebrates Other and blames self
To understand the climate of the department we actively listen to our teams. Our own communication needs to be excellent to ensure that we can drive standards and take people with us.	effective listeners and communicators
We aim to develop the best in people and to encourage high levels of retention in our staff. Coaching ensures lasting, owned improvement. Everyone wants to feel that they can develop and improve	coach and develop
We are not perfect and a degree of humility that allows one to reflect on their strengths and areas for development is a key to successful leadership. Don’t spend too long there through. You need to turn that towards the future and create your vision for the department	Be reflective and forward thinking
Conversations that sit for too long in the mire don’t drive improvements. Turn negatives into action and focus on the solutions you or your team will find.	Be solutions focussed

Vision 

Leaders of high performing subject areas have a strong vision about where they want the department to be. This will include student progress, student wellbeing, resources, the structure of learning, assessment, trips and enrichment, pedagogy, transition and primary links, the culture of the team. This is a statement about your defined future for the subject. It needs be clear, owned and achievable for the team.  

Vision alone is not enough. Our best leaders turn this into a clear strategy for their teams driven by moral purpose.  

This means: 

• Taking responsibility for selecting the subject syllabus that will best support children to gain the best education and achieve the best grades in the subject 

• Understanding the process by which children learn the subject, and the approach to teaching that is most likely to elicit this learning. This understanding must be set out in a detailed curriculum plan that guides teachers through each lesson providing resources and approaches to teaching that will enable children to learn. 

• Teachers must know their subject well and must know the pitfalls within the subject that are likely to delay or inhibit learning; they must know how to help children navigate these pitfalls. 

• Children must have their work assessed by their teachers so that they can both see where learning is secure and where further work is needed. 

• The subject leader must therefore have high expectations of his or her team and must monitor and evaluate the extent to which these expectations are met. Where expectations are not met then the excellent subject leader will seek to act in making changes quickly. 

Activity 1-Defining Your Vision 

What is your vision for your subject area? Try to focus on where you want it to be in two/three years’ time.  

Mission
Aspiration
Promises
Values