www.southwarkheads.org.uk

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

I am writing to you as the newly appointed Chair of the Headteachers Executive. I have been a headteacher in South-wark for a number of years and have seen various Governments prompt perennial changes to the curriculum - almost as a cyclical process.

Southwark has been unique during these times in as much as its headteachers have managed to retain a high degree of inde-pendence largely through the peer support of colleagues mus-tered by the Headteachers Executive. Southwark’s educational success is down to that independence and the excellence of its headteachers. It is perhaps no surprise therefore that Michael Gove has repeatedly in the past few months held up Southwark schools as beacons in education.

Certain change is unavoidable. Some colleagues may choose to take the Academy or free school route. However, together we remain Southwark Schools and by our unity we can collectively rally support and make challenges when required.

I believe it is vital to continue to support one another and that the Executive Council remains strong. All schools in Southwark are members of Headteachers Council and from this body are elected the membership the Headteachers Executive body - with a representative/delegate from every CLAN and Phase Group.

The Headteachers Executive meets once a term where crucial issues are discussed relating to funding, admissions, health to name but a few. These meetings enable CLAN representatives to relay topics, issues, policies and decisions that affect schools. Phase Groups also contribute in a similar manner raising issues that impact directly on age groups from nursery places and SEN nursing to secondary admissions.

The Headteachers Executive meetings also invite presentations and comment from other stakeholders including Children’s Services, Health, Transport and so forth. The Deputy Director, Children’s Services, or other officers, address these meetings regularly and at the same time schools’ concerns can be raised with the LA. The Headteachers Executive also meets with the Children’s Services Management Team (CSMT) so as to remain aware of current reforms and updates that affect Southwark Schools.

Lynn Charlton Chair - Headteachers Executive

CLAN , Phase, HE, Schools Forum and HE/CSMT meetings follow a system in order for information to flow bi-directionally between schools and the LA.

The Headteachers Executive’s role is both to challenge and also support. Through our Business Manager, regular important infor-mation is provided via e-mail, Heads Up and What, Where, When and the Southwark Headteachers website www.southwarkheads.org.uk.

Welcome to the Southwark Headteachers Executive

WELCOME

www.southwarkheads.org.ukwww.southwarkheads.org.uk

The Head teachers Executive has been established for many years and is the elected, management group that collates and represents the wide range of views of school leaders coming from its universal parent body, the Heads Council. All Phase Groups and CLANs (Community Learn-ing and Achievement Networks) may thus share information and contribute to decision making. The role of the Head teachers’ Executive is to help clarify policy and promote best practice and other matters relating to school leader-ship. The Executive scrutinises, supports but also challeng-es, where necessary, both policy and practice as it affects schools. The organisation operates with complete trans-parency and openness across all schools within Southwark with all meeting minutes, documentation and information available on www.southwarkheads.org.uk.

ABOUT US

Executive Council

The Executive Council meets on a regular basis and con-sults with other organisations including the Deputy Director and Children’s Services Management Team (CSMT), Educa-tion Scrutiny, Young Minds, Excellence in Southwark (EiS), Southwark Globe, Veolia, Children’s Trust and the Health and Well Being Board to name but a few. The Executive undertakes to raise on behalf of colleagues issues arising from feedback from Phase and CLAN meetings. It also pro-vides effective bidirectional information exchange between the Local Authority and schools and also between schools themselves.

Similar support and information is also provided to School Business Managers, Deputy and Assistant Headteachers and PSAs.

All schools are members of Headteachers Council from which members of the Executive are appointed as a result of their election as officers from each Phase and CLAN. Each Phase group and CLAN meets in order to discuss and exchange views on both topics directly relating to the discrete group as well as on broader ranging issues. Concerns, decisions or issues to be raised are taken to the next Headteachers Executive Meeting. After this, they may be discussed with the Deputy Director or the CSMT as appropriate. Likewise information received during CSMT meetings is communicat-ed back to schools through the following Phase and CLAN meetings.

As part of the universal membership of Southwark Heads’ Council, the importance of its Executive management group must be widely recognised. It provides an independent, unit-ed and focused voice for all Southwark Schools and acts as a portal and hub through which schools can communicate with each other.

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

Service provision from the Headteachers Execu-tive group has expanded during the past five years and the organisation has a full time Busi-ness Manager. The Executive works hard to be efficient and effective and there is great scope within the new educational landscape for the services offered by the organisation to continue to grow. Headteachers Executive offers servic-es by head teachers for head teachers, using a wealth of experience to provide tailor made and relevant services that offer schools what they need.

SERVICES

WebsiteSouthwark Schools have access to www.southwarkheads.org.uk which provides a wealth of information including meeting de-tails such as venues, times and dates. Courses and confer-ences, School Finder, Calendar, PHASE/CLAN minutes and in-formation are all detailed within the site. There is also a very successful Vacancy Bulletin that enables schools to advertise posts for a nominal charge. For crisis situations, there is an Emergency Button which can be activated in the event of, for instance, unforeseen school closures.

Additionally, the Headteachers Executive has created a website for the Parental Support Advisors of the borough http://southwarkpsa.org.uk. This site details information required in support of children, young people and their families.

The latest website is called CPDnet and provides a full spec-trum of courses, conferences and events for all school staffs. Find it at www.cdpnet.org.

E-MailRapid communication is assured thanks to a regularly main-tained database of e-mail contacts in all schools. This en-sures that information is provided quickly and direct to school mailboxes soon as it become available. This is invaluable to schools and is supported by direct communication from the Business Manager who can usually provide or signpost sup-plementary information.

A Funding Update is regularly circulated to schools with avail-able grants for educational settings.

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

CoursesProfessional Development Courses are supported by the Heads Executive for all schools - for example: Procurement and Bid Writing for SBMs. There are also supplementary follow on days emanating from Conferences – for example: conflict resolution for Deputy and Assistant Headteachers. Safeguarding Courses have been provided for all five Nurs-eries; and Team Teach and combined inset days have been provided for Special Schools. For Bermondsey CLAN support has been provided through the Headteachers Executive for the “Big Event”, while Peckham CLAN had an inset day with Jenny Mosley – with 600 delegates! Other events to support healthy eating (Southwark Schools in Bloom) and the South-wark Reading Festival have also been under the auspicies of the Headteachers Executive Council.

Back office supportSupport is provided to schools and their leaders via the gen-eral body of Headteachers’ Council and specific services are offered by Headteachers Executive and its Business Manager to Phase groups and CLANs. This is done by way of regular website updates, scheduling meeting dates, booking venues, providing documentation, copying and administration. This removes the onus on any one school to bear the responsibil-ity, time and costs of this service.

ElectionsThe Head teachers Executive manages the process for elect-ing its own Chairs and also for Southwark Association of Pri-mary Headteachers (SAPH) as well as those for Schools Fo-rum. Election manifestos and other documents are circulated and voting slips are collated and all schools have an equal opportunity to present a candidate. An independent return-ing officer is employed in the case of the elections of Schools Forum and Executive Council Chairs.

ConferencesAnnual conferences take place for Headteachers, Deputy and Assistant Headteachers and School Business Managers. Apart from addressing weighty topics such as current govern-ment policy and hosting inspirational and topical speakers, the Conferences provide the opportunity to meet with col-leagues, exchange views and network.

Surveys, Evaluations and DatabasesThe Headteachers’ Executive is able to commission and con-duct surveys and evaluations to the benefit of all schools. In particular, the organisation is keen to explore opportunities to partner in reducing costs through collective purchasing and procurement. Surveys have been undertaken to address admissions, deputy/assistant headteachers development, Ofsted Inspections and more.

Up to date information is vital to com-munication and the Heads Ex-ecutive has the most ac-curate schools database in Southwark which is maintained bi-annually across Headteach-ers, Deputy/Assis-tant Headteachers, SBMs and PSAs.

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

PublicationsWith a plethora of information for Heads to digest – most headteachers receive more than 3000 e-mails a year (excluding Spam!) - the Headteachers Executive pro-vides a distillation of important, interesting or en-tertaining news through its monthly newsletter Heads Up! The What, Where, When booklet is a pocket sized guide that includes dates, school e-mail and contact details.

Overseas LinksLinks with New York Principals and Southwark’s twinned town, Clichy, on the outskirts of Paris, are maintained through the Heads’ Executive group with opportunities for schools’ senior leaders and pupils to discover the educational opportunities and differences between countries.

Recognising ColleaguesIn Southwark the Headteachers Executive be-lieves in working in partnership with all schools regardless of denomination, status or phase. It strongly believes in supporting the many needs of schools, both those cele-brating success or where oth-ers may be facing par-ticular chal-l e n g e s . New head-teachers are wel-c o m e d into the b o r o u g h and those who are leav-ing recognised and thanked for their services.

StakeholdersThrough the Heads Executive, op-portunities, information and events are circulated to support and enrich staff and pupils within Southwark. Through both Phase and CLAN meetings, speakers are invited to share ex-perience and best practice.

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

Business ManagementThe Business Manager is the only full time paid professional within the Headteachers’ Execu-tive group and hence the role is a pivotal one. Initiatives support and advice is provided not only to the Executive as a group, but also to indi-vidual school leaders. The Business Manager is an ex-officio member of the Executive and is re-sponsible for overseeing the management of 16 groups (including Phases/CLANs and so forth) included within the universal schools member-ship of Heads’ Council.

The role and responsibilities of the business management of the Heads’ Executive are far reaching and diverse. The remit has expanded and developed to provide innovations and ini-tiatives to support school leaders, schools and pupils. Having a full time Business Manager within the Executive has enabled links to start to be forged with other boroughs with ideas and initiatives already being exchanged.

Under the direction of an elected Headteacher Treasurer, the Business Manager manages fi-nancial affairs and is also responsible for main-taining core documents such as constitutions, minutes and protocols, as well as legal and policy documents.

SERVICES

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

“The Headteachers Execu-tive has been a vital unifying body for all Southwark schools for many years. In these times of radical changes in the educational landscape, the support of our peers through the Executive is vital”

Keith FoxSt John’s Walworth

“Apart from the excellent conferences and events that Headteachers Execu-tive orchestrates each year, the day to day supply of information and resources has been an integral part of our school leadership”

Janiced BabbSt John’s Catholic Primary School

“Without the communications hub that Headteachers Executive pro-vides, I think we might struggle to manage the acquisition of impor-tant information”

Dr Irene Bishop OBESt Saviour’s and St Olave’s

www.southwarkheads.org.uk

Telephone: 01797 364366Mobile: 07770 734616e-mail: yolanda@headexec.comwww.southwarkheads.org.uk

WHO WE REPRESENT

Working in collaboration with: