Primary Headship in Scotland: The First Three Years—“Difficult to Prepare for and Has to Be Experienced to Be Believed”

• In Event: Enhancing Leadership Development in the International Community

Abstract

Objectives
This paper offers an overview of headteachers of primary schools in Scotland who have been in their current position for no more than three years. It looks at the aspects of their work they have found most challenging in those early years in the position and the extent to which they believe they were prepared for these challenges.

Theoretical Framework
As with the overall project, this paper is based upon several key assumptions. First, good leadership can be taught and nurtured. Second, the primary purpose of leadership is to facilitate high-quality teaching and learning for both staff and students. Third, the leadership development needs of principals vary as they progress through their careers, and this paper looks specifically at what principals think they have learnt over the first three years as a principal, following the mandatory Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH).

Methods
This research draws on Stages One and Two of the ISPP, which was qualitative, and uses a mixed-method questionnaire that employed rating-type and open-ended questions, and was administered through Survey Monkey to principals in the east of Scotland with/or who had attended but not completed SQH.

Data Sources
A sample of twenty-nine primary principals within the first three years of their principalship was surveyed. The principals, with an age range of 25-55, represented urban, rural, and remote schools in Scotland of between 50 and 500 pupils. The majority of the schools were small with fewer than 200 pupils.

Results and Conclusions
Several issues emerged from the data. These included managing the isolation of the principalship, the power of on-the-job learning and reflection, previous experience of “acting up,” people skills (staff and parents), and challenges for which they were not prepared adequately (time management, buildings, finance). Principals also reflected on the power of the postgraduate aspect of the qualification in allowing a theoretical framework for reflection on their work.

The results also highlight the difficulties in a mandatory programme, and what participants expect from it, as well as what stakeholders expect from the holders. As one respondent commented, ‘This is one of those jobs that is difficult to prepare for and needs to be experienced to be believed!’

Scholarly Significance
The quality of the leadership of the school is very important to learning outcomes. In countries such as Scotland which have a mandatory leadership framework, there is a huge challenge in developing and sustaining the leadership preparation over time, from the initial qualification to the work that goes on in school. This examination of the first three years gives insight into this problematic discussion, and so this research will be of interest to aspiring principals, new principals, school governors and boards, and leadership development providers.

Author

• Megan Crawford, University of Cambridge