Welcome
Following last week’s Headteachers’ conference, where the ethical leadership framework was launched, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk more about ethical leadership and how we can collectively integrate it into Warwickshire schools.
Carolyn Roberts, Commission Chair, said: ‘“The nation trusts us to form young people into the best that they can be. The public expects us to know what kind of example we should set them, but do we? How do we know what’s right or wrong?” The Ethical Leadership Commission (ELC) was established to help answer these questions, offering a framework of guiding principles to help support leaders in education in their decision making and in calling out unethical behaviour.
ELC included senior representatives across the education sector and its final report, Navigating the educational moral maze, was launched at the Institute of Education in London in January 2019. The framework includes the key aspects of ethical leadership, embodying the words and actions that the commission hopes to integrate into educational leadership.
I am excited to find ways that we can integrate the values of ethical leadership into our Warwickshire schools. From next week, you will find a new tab in Heads Up specifically for ethical leadership where we will present you with a dilemma. I ask you to use the dilemmas presented each week to focus on what your ethical thoughts would be in addressing the dilemma, using the ethical leadership moral maze to help.
This week, I’ve included the dilemma in my message, but first here are some elements of the ethics:
- Trust - leaders are trustworthy and reliable. We hold trust on behalf of children and should be beyond reproach. We are honest about our motivations.
- Wisdom - leaders use experience, knowledge and insight. We demonstrate moderation and self-awareness. We act calmly and rationally. We serve our schools and colleges with propriety and good sense.
- Kindness - leaders demonstrate respect, generosity of spirit, understanding and good temper. Where unavoidable conflict occurs, difficult messages are given humanely.
- Justice - leaders should be fair and work for the good of all children, from all backgrounds. We should seek to enable all young people to lead useful, happy and fulfilling lives.
- Service - leaders should be conscientious and dutiful. We should demonstrate humility and self-control, supporting the structures and rules which safeguard quality. Our actions should protect high-quality education.
- Courage - leaders should work courageously in the best interests of children and young people. We protect their safety and their right to a broad, effective and creative education.We hold one another to account courageously.
- Optimism - leaders should be positive and encouraging. Despite difficulties and pressures we are developing excellent education provision to change the world for the better.
This week’s dilemma-
“Using the Framework to explore the dilemmas organisations face when dealing with the most challenging behaviour”
You have just been referred a student through the Fair Access Protocol. When you read the background information on this student you see that they were permanently excluded from a nearby school. You feel that this exclusion could have been avoided and you would not have permanently excluded for the reason cited. This appears to be a pattern with this school and suggests that this school is not being inclusive and as a result you feel you are picking up the challenges that this school is avoiding.
How might you address this issue with the other school leader using the ethical leadership moral maze?
Please return your thoughts to Marie Rooney email marierooney@warwickshire.gov.uk
I would be grateful if as many of you as possible took the time to complete this and the subsequent dilemmas in future editions of Heads Up. I believe that through the collaboration of ideas, and learning from each other, we will move towards becoming the best we can be.
With best wishes
Ian Budd
Assistant Director for Education Services