Description

CONFERENCE AIMS

Being a Head of Department is a rewarding and exciting role. However, the initial euphoria of a promotion or leading a new team can often be followed by questions…

• How can you ensure that you lead your team effectively?
• How can express your department vision and do things your way, while embracing your schools ethos and culture?
• How do you keep all your team members happy?

This brand-new conference is designed for all heads of department, new or experienced, that want to take their leadership to outstanding, enact a significant change in direction, build a high performing team, create a positive working environment, and generate improved department performance in the long term.

The conference will address and explore the key challenges and opportunities department leaders face, providing strategies and approaches to ensure foundations are laid for academic and professional success.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Discover more about the approaches, methods and strategies needed to inspire and develop others in your team
• Gain knowledge on how to implement actionable improvement plans, enhance departmental effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement in teaching, learning, and leadership
• Take away strategies for navigating difficult conversations with colleagues to find mutually acceptable resolutions
• Develop a coherent and sequenced curriculum that promotes deep learning and mastery of key concepts and skills
• Gain insights on how to embed instructional coaching within your professional development model
• Best practices for integrating technology effectively into the curriculum and maximising the impact of digital initiatives on academic success
• Look at how you can transfer your departmental strategic perspective into whole school strategic thinking

PROGRAMME

Introduction & Welcome:

10.00 – 10.05am

Steve Smith Head of Professional Development, Keynote Educational

The Behaviours of an Outstanding Head of Department

10.05 – 10.50am

• The decision making, the key challenges and common mistakes
• Managing and leading teams; the approaches, methods and strategies needed to inspire and develop others
• Communicating the vision, conveying the culture – how do you build it in, get the message across and maintain high expectations and high reward?
• How do you develop yourself to ensure you become an outstanding leader?

Katharine Radice Educational Consultant

Break

10.50 – 11.10am

Know Your Department: 360° Departmental Review

11.10 – 11.50pm

• Understanding the purpose and process of a 360-degree departmental review, encompassing feedback from various stakeholders including staff, students, parents, and community members
• Effective data collection methods to gather comprehensive feedback on departmental performance and areas for improvement
• Analysing and synthesising feedback data to identify strengths, weaknesses, trends, and areas for growth
• Develop actionable improvement plans, enhance departmental effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement in teaching, learning, and leadership

Marcus Sharrad Director of Coaching and Mentoring, Head of Exercise and Sports Sciences, Marlborough College, Wiltshire

Building Highly Effective Teams

11.50– 12.30pm

• Strategies for fostering trust and collaboration
• Techniques for leveraging individual strengths to maximise team performance
• Insights into effective team communication and conflict resolution
• Practical tools and resources for setting clear goals and accountability within the team

Collette Clifford Educational Leader, School Improvement Advisor and Leadership Coach

Lunch

12.30 – 1.30pm

Breakout Strand 1

1.30– 2.10pm

1A: The 6 Stages of Instructional Coaching

• Break down the six stages to the Instructional Coaching Model, Praise, Probe, Action Steps, Deliberate Practice, Plan Ahead, Follow Up
• What successful implementation looks like in the context of your department
• Embedding instructional coaching within your professional development model

Collette Clifford Educational Leader, School Improvement Advisor and Leadership Coach

1B: Managing Inspection Visits

• Strategies for gathering evidence and documentation to demonstrate departmental effectiveness and compliance
• Preparing department staff for inspection visits, including tips for managing stress and anxiety
• Interpreting inspection feedback and using it to drive continuous improvement within the department

Matt Bromley Education Journalist, Author, and Advisor

1C: Conflict Resolution: Applying Theory in Practice

• Using a practical framework to resolve staff conflict and restore healthy relationships
• Techniques for identifying and addressing causes of conflict within your team or department
• Strategies for navigating difficult conversations with colleagues to find mutually acceptable resolutions
• Promoting a positive and respectful work environment, fostering open communication, and building trust in your team

Guy Rands Experienced Senior Leader

Break

2.10pm – 2.15pm

Breakout Strand 2

2.15m – 2.55pm

2A: Using Digital Technology and AI in your Department Effectively

• The benefits and applications of digital technology and AI
• How digital tools and AI can enhance teaching, learning, and administrative processes
• Best practices for integrating technology effectively into the curriculum, fostering digital literacy among staff and students, and maximising the impact of digital initiatives on academic success

Laura Knight Director of Digital Learning, Berkhamsted Senior School, Hertfordshire

2B: The Day to Day of a Head of Department

• Managing your time effectively, balancing leadership priorities
• ‘Triaging’ and delegating the workload, to allow you to prioritise your time
• The variables of the job and keeping a worklife balance – for you and your team

Andy Carroll Head of Sixth Form, Halliford School, Shepperton

2C: Raising Attainment: Developing a Departmental Culture of High Achievement, High Expectations & High Reward

• Strategies for setting and communicating high expectations for student achievement
• Creating a positive and motivating learning environment that encourages academic excellence
• Effective reward systems that recognise and celebrate student progress and success
• Practical approaches for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and resilience

Katharine Radice Educational Consultant

Breakout Strand 3

2.55m – 3.35pm

3A: Outstanding Curriculum Design

• Strategies for aligning your curriculum design with the school’s vision, values, and educational objectives
• Developing a coherent and sequenced curriculum that promotes deep learning and mastery of key concepts and skills
• Insights into incorporating interdisciplinary connections, real-world relevance, and diverse perspectives to enhance the richness and relevance of the curriculum
• Practical guidance on curriculum mapping, assessment design, and ongoing evaluation to ensure continuous improvement and responsiveness to student needs and outcomes

Matt Bromley Education Journalist, Author, and Advisor

3B: A Contemporary Approach Academic intervention

• Investigating the full picture with all related staff
• The role of the Head of Department in making interventions work
• Support+: A coaching/mentoring approach case study
• What are the measures of success?

Marcus Sharrad Director of Coaching and Mentoring, Head of Exercise and Sports Sciences, Marlborough College, Wiltshire

3C: Aspiring to Senior Leadership – Are You Ready for the Next Step?

• Taking advantage of opportunities, taking on responsibilities, and showing your potential
• Getting noticed: initiating projects that add value to the whole school
• Applying/transferring your departmental strategic perspective into whole school strategic thinking

Andy Carroll Head of Sixth Form, Halliford School, Shepperton