Bastow

Institute of Educational LeadershipIm

pact Case Study

Unlocking Potential: Principal Preparation

Bastow | Unlocking Potential

Neil O’Sullivan enrolled in Bastow’s Unlocking Potential (UP): Principal Preparation program in 2014 with a strong desire to understand more about what is involved in being a principal and as a way to strengthen his leadership qualities and capacity.

Since finishing the course, Neil has not only achieved this in his role as principal, but has also firmly established himself as a highly respected leader who is dedicated to improving learning for both students and teachers at his school.

Right from the word go Neil involved teachers, students and parents in the responsibility for raising the quality of teaching and learning by developing a strong and clear vision for the school.

‘One of the first things I did was to redefine and broaden our purpose … by developing three statements related to our mission around learning, which are very simple: creating learners, growing good people and giving something back,’ says Neil.

Although Neil understood that this vision was essential for creating a strong learning culture, he also knew that it could only be achieved if there was a clear strategy for implementation and a collective responsibility for developing this culture.

As a way for parents and the community to actively participate and directly experience the realisation of the vision, Neil organises regular activities and celebrations,

including family cricket matches, barbecues and evening performances.

Kate Phoenix, a leading teacher and a member of the school leadership team, believes that this engagement is key to Neil’s strength as a leader.

‘Everyone can see he has a strategic vision for the school, and a long term plan for the students and the teachers as well,’ says Kate. ‘He makes us feel like we’re all part of the team and that we’re all in this together.’

Neil also believes that being a highly visible and proactive leader is critical, in particular, taking the time to interact with all students, especially with those who are struggling.

‘Investing in each individual is really important to Neil,’ says Kate. ‘He’s often out in the yard playing with the kids. He’s continually trying something new, and working to develop his relationships with them. This is really his core belief: good relationships help kids move forward in their development.’

Neil’s vision also involves a rigorous approach to collecting learning data and then working with staff to evaluate this data to monitor the growth of each student.

‘This process is also about defining goals for every student,’ explains Neil. ‘We incorporate a piece of student data into every professional learning session we do and then we track growth of individual students and cohorts across the whole school.’

For Neil, monitoring and evaluating the learning status and growth of each student means that they can accurately cater for individual needs and that he and the teachers are accountable for their progress.

A clear vision – strengthening learning and our community

Participant:

Neil O’Sullivan Principal, Avenel Primary School

‘We are able to set goals for ourselves as well as for the students. And by having a really rigorous data regime, we celebrate the wins as well,’ says Neil.

Ultimately, Neil believes that being a leader and educator is about empowering others, and essential to this is managing your own development and building trust and effective relationships.

His willingness to provide opportunities for high quality and relevant professional learning means that staff can participate in improving learning and understand the purpose and educational theory behind his leadership approach.

‘He knows what everybody’s aims and goals are and is more than happy to help people further their career and develop their skills,’ says Kate.

‘We are able to set goals for ourselves as well as for the students. And by having a really rigorous data regime, we celebrate the wins as well.’ Pictured: Neil with students

Bastow | Unlocking Potential

Improving teacher practice

As most principals know, it is one thing to have a clear vision for a school, but it’s another to actually mobilise and inspire your staff to help implement it. The UP program gave Neil the confidence, skills and professional knowledge to take a methodical and inclusive approach to getting staff on board to realise his vision for developing a strong professional learning culture.

He started by demonstrating the need for a clear vision, then by providing professional learning to teach the theory behind his ideas, and finally by supporting a ‘hands-on’ approach.

‘I made sure I understood where each person was in their own professional career and I was then able to provide individual support to help transfer what we do in professional learning sessions into the classroom,’ says Neil.

For Kate, Neil’s highly organised approach and the good relationships that he has with the staff allow him to coach and mentor them, as well as provide constructive feedback.

‘We’re going through observational rounds at the moment, and Neil is working with every staff member on observing their practice, and then having follow-up conversations with them about how they’re going to improve and what areas they can work on,’ says Kate.

The UP program confirmed for Neil that in addition to improving teacher practice, the key to improving student learning is making sure everyone is working towards the same goals.

‘I wanted everyone to understand that we’re about developing efficient and engaged learners. We’re about developing citizens and people of strong character, and we’re about leading the community and giving something back to the community,’ says Neil.

A strong professional learning culture

The rigorous academic approach of the UP program sparked Neil’s interest in educational theory, particularly in the area of the social and emotional frameworks for children. It also confirmed for him the importance of developing a critical mindset and ‘really underpinning your beliefs with solid research’.

‘I’m very interested in developing children’s social competencies,’ says Neil. ‘At our school we’re examining what the latest research is telling us about teaching and how we need to change our teaching styles to cater for students.’

Kate believes that this approach of using the evidence from data about student learning combined with developing a strong understanding of student needs, provides the perfect balance and enables teachers and students to set clear goals.

‘One of Neil’s initiatives is the You Can Do It program,’ says Kate. ‘We’re working with all year levels to set goals and then working out how we’re going to achieve those goals, and not just academic goals, but social and organisational goals as well.’

The focus is on working with students at an individual level, but with a whole-school approach to create an environment that encourages conversations about goals and an opportunity for students to reflect, not only on their own learning, but also who they are as people.

For Neil, this is also about students taking ownership and control of their own learning, which in turn, helps them to develop both socially and emotionally.

He is also aware that for this approach to be successful, he has to proactively involve and collaborate with the whole school community. To demonstrate this, he organises regular community engagement activities.

‘I know he’s very committed to working with the community on how we can move the school forward,’ says Kate. ‘He recently sent home surveys to get parent and community feedback about what the school’s doing well and areas to improve.’

Pictured: Neil with fellow UP participant, Helene Hiotis

‘At our school we’re examining what the latest research is telling us about teaching and how we need to change our teaching styles to cater for students.’

Bastow | Unlocking Potential

Empowering self and others

The UP program emphasises that before you can empower and invest in others, you need to thoroughly know yourself; you need to spend time reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses. Neil found this learning particularly potent, and believes that a reflective mindset is both an essential ability and a continuous process.

‘In order to develop emotional resilience, self-knowledge is vital,’ says Neil. ‘You need to understand what you’re about, what your processes are and the effect you have on others, as well as how you react to different circumstances.’

Kate has observed this self-reflective capacity in Neil and believes that the way he shares this with others goes a long way to making everyone feel they are on the journey with him, in turn inspiring them to do the same for themselves.

‘Bastow’s UP Program has obviously really helped Neil with his ability to look at himself and his style of leadership,’ says Kate. ‘He really walks the walk in that he is very open about his reflections on his own practice.’

This leadership approach is strongly related to Neil’s belief that ‘all work within a school is, in a sense, an act of leadership’. He believes in the power of modelling expected behaviours and investing in the knowledge of others.

‘In whatever domain you operate in, it’s just impossible to know everything, so if you develop an openness and honesty around what you know and a trust in others, then that can have a huge effect on those around you.’

Being visible, approachable and engaged are also qualities that Neil works hard to achieve and something that he is very strategic about.

‘For example, this morning before school I played downball for 20 minutes with the kids at the front of the school – the most visible area where all the parents come in – this gives me the opportunity to interact with everyone.’

For Kate, this openness and visibility as a leader also means that Neil has good relationships with students and a deep understanding of their needs.

‘Neil regularly works with students to find out about what they want from their learning environment,’ says Kate. ‘He runs surveys and attends student school council; he chats to students about things and really takes on their feedback, and makes them feel like they have ownership of their learning and a voice in the school.’

Pictured: Neil and Kate

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