Effective School Management

14
Managing the Environment
THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Although most of this chapter relates to the socio-political environment, it is
worth noting that both public opinion and legislation are facing managers
with increasing expectations that their schools will espouse ‘green’ values
and set an example of environmental protection. Educating children on how
to dispose tidily of litter is a continuing problem. Less well known is the duty
to ensure that all waste that has been in contact with bodily fluids (such as
wound dressings and tampons) should be separately stored in yellow plastic
bags and identified as hazardous.
 The need to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases has led to initiatives
to save energy; even the national standards for managers include a unit to
‘identify improvements in energy efficiency’. Competence in sport and
recreation facility management is assessed against the backcloth of a number
of values including:
Respond to global environmental issues by economising in the use of energy
and non-sustainable resources, by avoiding destruction of natural resources, by
controlling pollution and by careful management of waste.
The Institute for Outdoor Learning, some of whose members supervise school
trips, have a fifteen-point policy for environmental sustainability as part of
their code of conduct, which enjoins members to conserve the natural
environment, be sensitive to the impact of their operations on the local
community and cultural setting and encourage knowledge, understanding
and respect.
 Many heads ensure that such values and codes are instilled into the school
ethos and set an example by habitually picking up litter, switching off un-
necessary power consumption and making the physical environment of their
school something to be proud of. Others, alas, seem not to care, thereby
spoiling the public’s image of the school and adding to the negative forces
that influence pupil behaviour.

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EXTERNAL RELATIONS
In Chapter 9 we emphasized the importance of thinking of schools in the
context of their environment (Figure 9.3) and said that heads are having to
spend more time managing transactions across the boundary between their
school and its environment. Recent legislation has intensified this need.
Governing bodies have new powers and parents more rights. Although LEAs
now wield less political influence over schools, they are still significant
stakeholders, except for independent and foundation schools. Employers are
also an important constituency and can influence education both directly and
through bodies such as Learning and Skills Councils. It is therefore incumbent
on heads actively to shape community expectations of schools, to solicit co-
operation and support for their activities and to build a public image.
For many heads, dealing with these outsiders is among the least enjoyable
aspects of their jobs (Jones, 1987). However, schools are not, and cannot be,
closed systems; their boundaries must be semi-permeable if they are to thrive
and respond to environmental change. The aim of heads and senior
managers should be to direct traffic across the boundary and to forge inter-
dependent partnerships and understandings across it.
To assert this is not to deny the uneasy relationships that sometimes exist
with some parents, some governors and some elected LEA members. All can
interfere, disrupt and consume time and energy. But the coin has two sides:
they can also offer support, contribute and argue the school’s case. The
question is what heads can do to engender helpful behaviour, discourage
unhelpful and, where there is conflict, to manage it constructively.
Ignorance often lies at the root of conflict and misunderstanding; parents,
employers and teachers harbour myths about each other. The more we retreat
behind our boundaries, the less we comprehend each other’s worlds.
Schools, like industry, have to project an image and actively manage their
public relations; otherwise outsiders will form their own (probably mistaken)
impression of what they are like inside. A school where visitors feel welcome
and comfortable is less likely to engender antagonistic attitudes.
THE ANGRY PARENT
Even so, angry parents or neighbours will cross the boundary and heads will
be faced with managing conflict. The guidelines in Chapter 7 (which dealt
with internal conflict) still generally apply to conflict across the boundary:
thus heads should aim to lower the emotional temperature, steer away from
a win–lose situation towards a problem-solving approach and not start arguing
or driving parents into feeling that they have to make a stand for the sake of
honour. Self-control, listening skills and empathy are vital. Never assume that
the immediate problem has caused their anger; on many occasions you will
find that there is another, possibly more long-held, dissatisfaction with the
school, and today’s problem has been the last straw. Pause to think about and

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then reflect back what has been said, to show you have listened, and
summarize at the end, including whatever action is agreed.
Always respect the position and feelings of parents; even if tempted to
think them stupid, show them the opposite, remembering that you would
probably feel the same way if you started from the same imperfect
knowledge base. For instance, some parents have been conditioned by their
experience of others in authority to tar heads with the same brush. Animosity
should therefore not be taken personally, but seen as directed towards the
authority role.
PARENTS AS PARTNERS
Running through the legislation is the notion of parents and teachers jointly
involved in children’s education: ‘pupils are to be educated in accordance
with the wishes of their parents’ (Education Act 1944). The 1981 Act and
Circular 1/83 see professionals and parents as partners in decision-making
about pupils with special educational needs (20 per cent according to the
Warnock Report). The 1988 Act requires parents to be involved in decisions
about departures from the National Curriculum.
Quite apart from the law, good practice requires heads to cultivate fruitful
relationships with the parent body. Problems are more easily resolved by
parents and teachers together than by either alone. Parents’ attitudes
strongly influence their children’s progress; so schools that set out to educate
parents can enhance the classroom experience. Moreover, reservoirs of talent
and goodwill exist among parents, and many surveys suggest that they
would like to be more involved with the life of the school. At primary level it
is known that parental involvement is a determinant of school effectiveness
(Mortimore et al., 1988). The Sussex Project showed that parents who gained
access to the classroom showed increased confidence in teachers. Joan Sallis
talks of ‘collaborative equality’: there should be consensus about objectives,
exchange of information about methods and dialogue to discuss the success
of what has been done (Glatter et al., 1988, p. 150). Such involvement works;
Everard witnessed in a project aimed at improving special needs provision
impressive contributions of ‘ordinary’ parents not only at the technical level
but also in the management of change. While teachers may have the edge
over parents in pedagogy, in management many parents can contribute on
more equal terms. The same goes for local employers.
GOVERNORS
Much the same also applies to the governing body as to the parent body, yet
the establishment of effective governing bodies is identified as one of the three
weakest areas of school management in an Ofsted report on leadership and
management (Ofsted, 2003). Again there is a legislative framework (especially
the 1986 and 1988 Acts): ‘In a well-managed school, the head and governing

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body will work in a close and balanced partnership’ (DES, 1988). The necessary
changes in role relationships have taken some time to work through. The
transfer of power and responsibility within the LEA–governing body–school
system is a good example of strategic change, and several of the techniques
described in Part III are relevant to building a healthy working relationship.
Heads have a duty to advise and assist the governing body to discharge its
functions and many new governors pay tribute to the help they receive.
However, some heads try to keep governing bodies at arm’s length.
Governors can only help to the extent that they understand what the head is
trying to do and how he or she is doing it. This means sharing problems and
concerns as well as achievements, and soliciting help and advice. Reports to
governors should not be confined to factual reports of past activities; they
should also deal with philosophy, strategy and forward planning. Many
heads use the school development plan as a framework for their reports,
using it to comment on progress towards its objectives, and to generate
discussion on future opportunities.
A common complaint from businesspeople who become involved in
education is that the papers they get are prolix and not user-friendly. Since
schools are in the communication business by definition, they need to set
high standards in communicating with busy people unfamiliar with
teachers’ jargon. Another complaint is that meetings with educationists are
unproductive and inconclusive; although it is the responsibility of the chair
to conduct meetings, heads can offer valuable guidance, avoiding the traps of
overlong agendas and ill-prepared items (Chapter 5).
It is in the management of change that governors can be particularly
helpful, acting as sounding boards and evaluating the effects. Governors are
a potential resource for change and because of their position in the local
community may be more powerful advocates of the school and its needs than
the head himself or herself. Hence it pays to cultivate the friendship and
support of governors and to involve them in the work of the school.
Unfortunately, as Anne Jones (1987) found, this is seldom done well: ‘what
appears to be lacking between heads and governors is professional respect
and any sense of working together in a common cause.’
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR DEALING WITH PARENTS,
GOVERNORS AND EMPLOYERS
At the skills level, heads have much to learn from the methods used by
reputable sales representatives in industry for fostering beneficial relationships
with customers and getting them to buy products and ideas – sometimes called
the skills of persuasion. They are not as alien to the school culture as might be
supposed, for they are firmly based on consideration for others.
The key principle is empathy with the other party. Show respect for them
and their opinions. Present your ideas and proposals from their standpoint.
Understand their world. Consider their self-interest and what they are trying

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to achieve by relating to the school (you may have to ask questions to find
out). Ask yourself how acceptance of your proposal can help them. Think of
the benefits to them, rather than letting them infer these from the features of
your proposal; you can turn a feature into a benefit by answering the
question  ‘so what?’ Also list the drawbacks to them of rejecting your
proposal. Avoid, however, a long monologue; instead, use questions to
establish in their minds the problems and drawbacks which your proposal
will help to mitigate. Give time for points to sink in. Test reactions with
questions and watch non-verbal behaviour.
Since both emotion and logic influence decision-making, try to get the
other party into the right mood. Ascertain mood with a friendly question.
Establish enduring rapport and create an emotional bond. Look for ways of
offering a small service.
If you need a decision (e.g. agreement to provide resources), never end an
encounter without one, even if it is only agreement to make one at a specified
future meeting. Timing is of the essence in moving people towards
agreement. They may need nudging. Once there, sum up what has been
agreed.
If the other party raises obstacles and difficulties, handle the situation as
you would manage conflict (see above and Chapter 7). Awkward or
antagonistic customers who always raise difficulties present a special
challenge. Try to soften your attitude towards them. Understand their mood,
use tact and work through their objectives. Such negative people tend to lack
friends, so if you can get through to them emotionally, you are home and dry.
Follow these precepts with sincerity and you will acquire a reputation as
firm, considerate and ‘someone I can do business with’. Your propositions
and ideas will become more ‘yes-able’, though you may not clinch them all.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
(An exercise in empathy) List some adjectives and phrases or draw some cartoons
that you think governors would use to caricature your school. Then construct in the
same way your image of the governing body. How do you want each image to change?
What should be your first steps in bringing about the change?
MANAGING AN OFSTED INSPECTION
An Ofsted inspection may be seen as a working relationship between two
teams with the common ultimate objective of school development. The
framework of inspection provides the guidelines for each team to follow. The
Ofsted team (the ‘joiners’) will want to garner information as effectively as
possible; the school team (the ‘steerers’) to present this information in the
best possible light.
Some of the general principles that apply to inter-team interactions are
identified in Coverdale training (Babington Smith and Sharp, 1990):

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(1) Do not over-concentrate on the content of the inspection, but think about
the processes and the relationships.
(2) Prepare well and agree the main procedures with the inspection team.
(3) Ensure that the inspection team understands the school’s situation and
the work already done by the school (e.g. a development plan). Forms
S1–S4 are crucial in ensuring that the inspection team are given accurate
information about the school’s context. Wide consultation with staff,
governors and other stakeholders will ensure that when the team arrives,
everyone is well prepared to answer their questions.
(4) Agree what has to be done and the priorities, and a rough timetable.
(5) If the school team is to contribute willingly and effectively, they must be
able to understand clearly and identify with the aims being pursued.
(6) The more people see their abilities, experience and ideas being respected
and valued, the more willing to help they tend to be.
The independent review of inspection quality (Ofsted, 1995) showed a high
degree of professionalism among those in both teams, and three-quarters of
the schools surveyed were broadly satisfied with the inspection process.
Schools prepare very thoroughly for inspection and most heads report that
this is an effective team-building exercise. By following the systematic
approach (Chapter 10) self-appraisal, review and evaluation are reinforced,
so try to see inspection in this light. Good relationships were usually
established (principle 1 above). Over two-thirds of headteachers were satisfied
with the management of the process (principles 1–4). Less well handled was
the involvement of staff in professional dialogues, and some support staff felt
marginalized. Not enough is done to allay the apprehension of the staff before
an inspection, which results in the ‘freezing’ of the school’s normal
development processes. The fact that no less than 90 per cent of schools report
that inspections are conducted efficiently, sensitively and constructively can
be used to allay such apprehension. Remember also that Ofsted encourages
feedback about their inspection teams and has its own process of quality
improvement, so they are on a learning curve as well as the school team.
Clearly heads must work to establish in their staff teams a positive attitude
towards inspection, emphasizing opportunities and strengths to counteract
the natural feelings of threat and fear of weaknesses – just as students are
advised before exams to focus on the hills of erudition rather than the pits of
ignorance. Ormston and Shaw (1994) express this as follows: ‘We believe that
the healthiest approach to inspection is one where school leaders inculcate in
staff an expectation that they will be confidently operating at the highest level
of quality assurances, rather than reacting to externally imposed quality
control resulting from the inspection.’
The identification of weaknesses is not the end of the world; in a school
that has developed a capacity for change (Chapter 16), it is a positive
advantage to acquire independent data, set against national benchmarks,
showing where there is scope for school improvement. A problem-solving
task group can then be set up to implement the necessary changes.

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Although over 80 per cent of secondary heads are satisfied with the
inspection team’s overall judgements, there will be instances where these
judgements are called into question. Inspection is not an exact science, and
judgements have to be made against numerous criteria in limited time. Some
rough justice is inescapable in these circumstances. Heads may well have to
smooth ruffled feathers and encourage staff to apply their energies to
improvements that both teams agree to be necessary, and time may have to
elapse before defensiveness plays itself out and the justification for a
contested, adverse judgement sinks in. The fact that over four-fifths of
schools are broadly satisfied with the key issues for action in the inspection
report, as a basis for school development, indicates that well managed school
inspection has a useful part to play in the improvement process. Secondary
schools in particular have a high expectation of the potential for improve-
ment and development afforded by inspection.
In common with other inspection processes (e.g. NVQ centre approval and
verification), school inspection generates much paperwork and is therefore
criticized as ‘bureaucratic’. This is indeed a problem, and needs managing.
You may need to deter those who have to complete the forms from being
over-zealous, and you may be able to negotiate with the registered inspector
some simplification of the paperwork. On no account assume he or she is
inflexible until you have tested it out. Speaking as an NVQ ‘inspector’, I
(Everard) like to believe that I am open to reason!
Inspectors have become more experienced in evaluating the quality of
management and leadership in schools, using the following criteria.
For management, they assess the extent to which there is:
• rigorous self-evaluation and effective use of findings;
• monitoring of performance data, then appropriate action;
• thorough and effective performance management of staff, including
support staff, in bringing about improvement;
• commitment to staff development;
• good management of recruitment, retention and deployment;
• acknowledgement of educational priorities in finance and resource
management;
• application of the principles of ‘best value’.
For leadership, they look for:
• clear vision, sense of purpose, high aspirations and relentless focus on
pupil achievements;
• strategic planning;
• leaders inspiring, motivating and influencing staff and pupils;
• creation of effective teams;
• knowledgeable and innovative leadership of teaching and curriculum;
• commitment to an equitable and inclusive school where each individual
matters;

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• good role models.
(Ofsted 2003)
These criteria, and the greater emphasis in the latest Framework (2003) on
inspecting a schools’s own self-evaluation processes, mean that preparation
for an inspection should not be undertaken in a great rush once the dreaded
‘brown envelope’ arrives in school. Good schools use the Ofsted Handbook
(2003) as an aid to better monitoring and evaluation in their normal planning
cycle. A useful exercise is to complete the self-evaluation form S4 each year.
Governors and middle managers should be asked to complete their own
versions, before drawing up a final version, in order to answer Ofsted’s
question, ‘does self-evaluation penetrate to the heart of the school?’