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Becoming fit for purpose

During the Church Schools Review chaired by Lord Dearing, the Church of England Board of Education commissioned a report by the Grubb Institute on the particular features of Christian leadership that are helpful in transforming a struggling school into a successful one. The National College for School Leadership funded the work on this report, which was finalized in December 2002 under the title, Becoming Fit for Purpose: Leading Transformation in Church Schools. The report is based on case studies of the headteachers of three Church of England voluntary aided secondary schools.

The report is unique in that it outlines a completely new approach to understanding the leadership and management of schools. It relates an up to date understanding of human behaviour to Christian experience. It has a distinctive message to leaders of Church schools in general, not only to those seeking to transform failing schools. It might well have important messages for the leaders of all schools and those who train and prepare them for their work.

The report identifies the following factors in the successful headteachers' leadership as important to the process of transformation:

'Envisioning' the whole school from a Christian perspective:

i.e. a holistic approach to developing the whole school community;
supported by a strong sense of vision and direction;
utilizing an integrative, inclusive approach of 'taking the school with them'.

Valuing individuals within the school:

through a belief in their potential;
by forgiveness and in caring for pupils while also challenging them to grow in spiritual, intellectual and emotional maturity;
and by encouraging the development of self-respect and respect for others.

Fostering the growth of relationships within and beyond the school community:

based on a commitment to truth and reality;
underpinned by a sense of accountability (to God, to the school and to the local community).

Headteacher's personal motivation:

is recognized by pupils as centred upon them;
is focused on the pupils' best interests as regards their education and welfare;
and is impelled by an inner strength to turn vision into reality.

Importance of collective worship:

is recognized by the report as 'the fulcrum by which the transformation of the school was levered'.

Christian headship:

provides the underlying theological and philosophical base on which the headteachers built the foundations for transformation.

It is hoped to arrange a number of events over the coming months to disseminate and explain the report's findings. Further details will be posted here in due course.

Read the full report

Download the report (PDF, 639 KB)

Download the access paper (PDF, 728 KB)

Hard copies of the report are available at £10 each from:

The Grubb Institute
Cloudesley Street,
London N1 0HU
Telephone: 020 7278 8061
Email: info@grubb.org.uk
Website: www.grubb.org.uk

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