Old DH Questions Flashcards
What has led you to apply for this job at this school?
- 6 years at EPHS
- set up and then ran Sixth Form
- then wider school focus on curriculum, assessment, T&L and behaviour
- new challenge
- educational philosophy of St.Marylebone (academic excellence, nurturing pastoral system, focus on wider development of girls, extra-curricular focus)
What do you do when a teacher disagrees with your leadership?
Example: homework policy
- listen - was it just how rather than what I communicated
- explain - go back to first principles
- work out what are the grounds for disagreement
- are they valid? have I got it wrong?
- reinforce expectations and reasons
- reflect, learn, improve
How would you ensure and promote a shared vision within the school?
Example: Vision for Sixth Form
- fit with school’s aspirations
- clarity of articulation
- working with staff to plan
- what does this mean in real terms
- curriculum, T&L, Extra-curric
- student culture & staff culture
- increase capacity and capability through professional development (INSET)
- small things matter
What do you see as the key issues facing school leaders in secondary schools today?
1) curriculum (KS3, qualifications: GCSEs and BTEC, A Levels)
2) assessment (what, how, monitoring, diversity across sector)
3) self-evaluation and school-led self-improvement
4) closing gaps
- careers advice & University
- hold fast to a broader conception of education
- development of staff
- development of partnerships
- core mission: Teaching and Learning
What are the attributes of an effective school leader?
Example: setting up Sixth Form
1) vision & principle
2) enthusiam and passion
3) attention to detail & keep eye on big picture
4) commitment to shared leadership & collaboration
- difficult conversations
- ability to listen
- data analysis
- self-evaluation and self-development
- loyalty
- willingness to act
- thoughtful and principled
If the headteacher introduced a policy with which you disagreed, what would your response be?
- listen & discuss privately & make my case
- once decision made, support it and put it into effect
What is your style of leadership
1) varies; adaptable; NB I’m not alone
2) collaborative; principled; transformational; practical
3) visible around school; accessible/listen - not look too busy (‘the swan’))
4) focus on T&L and student and staff culture
- purposeful (clarity of gaols)
- inclusive (goals shared by all)
- values-driven
- trust and verify
How could you ensure that leadership responsibilities are distributed fairly?
Example: Assist Year Leaders
- identify areas of leadership & potential leaders
- ensure clarity of aims and desired outcomes
- different levels of support
- trust but verify
From your current knowledge of the school, what would you say are the key challenges facing the school and the key strengths?
challenges:
- (Ofsted) Sixth Form induction and early warning systems
- (SIAMS) continue to develop Christian ethos
- improve results whilst retaining holistic vision (close gaps)
- improve consistency of self-evaluation
- raise standards of T&L
- plan for new qualifications
strengths:
- principles & ethos
- staff, students & parents
- location
- foundation subjects (Prog8)
- Teaching School
As a deputy headteacher, how you will contribute to raising whole-school performance levels?
Strategic level
-Identify strengths and weaknesses, against core principals
-Use self and others to develop staff, develop others ability to self-evaluate
- empower others - bring out their leadership and hold them to account
- Monitor and evaluate
- Day to day level
- Presence
- Own teaching
- Ear to ground - developing staff culture
- Feedback loop - data, student voice, parents voice, staff voice
Example: Marking & Feedback policy
How do you monitor standards?
Example: Line Management of Maths & MFL
- scrutinies data
- work with HoF - test their self-evaluation
- ear to the ground - be around the school
- be available and not look too busy
- review, assess against core principals, work with others to improve, monitor and evaluate standards
- curriculum review
How will you ensure that the curriculum is interesting and exciting and that it has a positive effect on behaviour and attitudes of the children?
Example: annual curriculum review
- annual review
- student and parental voice
- ear to the ground - be around school
- changes to performance measures and qualifications
- closing the gap (Booster, Nurture, Alt Provision)
How will you identify and address underperformance of staff?
- whole school self-evaluation
- use data (lesson obs, results, internal data)
- keeping ear to ground
- identify problems
- listen to staff
- relate back to school aims and ethos
- put support in place
- monitor and evaluate
- if support not working, why? is progress likley?
- work with Head and senior staff
Suppose one faculty department has a problem with results: you perceive a weakness in the faculty management. How would you approach this?
- scrutinise the data with the subject leader
- develop an action plan
- staff development
- curriculum
- T&L
- not alone: work with Head and others
Under your leadership where would you expect this school to be in three years, and how would you achieve this?
- gaps closed
- outstanding according to new performance measures
- results
- improved T&L
- greater security in self-evaluation and self- development
- parental feedback
- student voice (T&L, wider curriculum & opportunities)
How assessment can be used to raise attainment?
- assessment sets the standards and rigour
- how teachers and middle leaders use assessment
Example: assessment policy - aspirational in assessment
- assessment to modify curriculum and pedagogy
- what are you assessing and does your assessment assess what you want it to
- how use the assessment data
- short term to long term planning
- curriculum reviews
- students response to feedback
- parental response to assessment
What qualities do you look for in teachers you would seek to appoint to any future vacancy?
1) ability to teach
2) mindset
3) safeguarding and care for students and about students
- resilience
- use initiative and also take direction
What in your opinion would be an effective curriculum for a school like ours look like and aim to do?
Example: KS3 Curriculum & Sixth Form Curriculum
- breadth
- rigour
- pathways
- rich and relevant
- new performance measures
- opportunities to develop as leaders
- cultural capital
If you were observing a lesson, what would be the key indicators that showed that effective learning was taking place?
new Oftsed
- progress over time
- thirst for learning rather than just engagement
- low-level behaviour
- stretch and challenge and support
- timely interventions in class
- students acting on interventions and feedback
- what students are doing
- progress of all
- enthusiasm and interest of the teacher - willing to take risks
How would you move teaching in this school from beyond outstanding?
Example: Coaching model; staff development initiatives e.g. Book Club, TeachMeet
- identify whole-school areas which need developing
- individuals identify areas for development
- learning walks, lesson obs, data, student voice
- what is the St. Marylebone way of teaching - clear expectations
- subject self-evaluation
- how will we know when we have improved?
- monitor and evaluate
How to cater for those pupils with SEN or English as an additional language (EAL)
- know the student
- support
- challenge
- language development
Can you explain how you have used ICT in lessons?
- planning (use of data)
- professional development (Twitter, blogs, subject knowledge)
- teaching (IWB, flipped learning, apps, Airserve)
- learning (apps, internet, email)
- communications (students, parents, staff)
- whole school (SIMS, behaviour data, Edexcel)
- learning needs human interaction, internet and apps will never be enough by themselves, but can add tremendous amount
- problems of internet; students need training
What should be the role of handheld digital devices in school?
- can be strength
- what if a students does not have one?
- what if teacher relying on all students having their own (comparable to exercise book)
- can network manage so many connected to it
- security and viruses
- staff training (general apps better than specific)
- expectations
- students’ training for online and mobile phone use
- who pays for damages?
What are the key points of an effective assessment for learning process?
Example: assessment and feedback policy
- feedback and acting on feedback
- students need to know the point of lessons and the point of assessments
- teacher gathers information which is going to change what and how they teach
- timely
- personalised
- has impact
- subject specific
- literacy
How would you ensure that the safeguarding of pupils is managed effectively within the school?
Example: annual training (change it up each year); take a mid-term focus (e.g. bullying, eating problems, neglect)
- staff training
- clear CPO and Deputy
- single central record
- registers taken
- everyone has responsibility for being aware
- data protection
- use of internet and mobile devices
- record keeping
- safer recruitment
- fire alarms and practice
How would you expect pupils to treat you?
- thoughtfully
- as someone they could talk to and who would listen
- listen and try to understand, but may not agree
- wants the best for each of them
Can you tell us about a time when you had to deal with a concern about the safeguarding of a child?
- homeless in Sixth Form
- self-harming in KS3
- eating disorder
- LAC with bleach and grooming and running away
How would you expect staff to treat you?
- thoughtfully
- as someone they could talk to and who would listen
- work hard to show I am listening to them
- can forget what it is like to have full teaching load
- but realise have my eyes on big picture as well as the details
- listen and try to understand, but may not agree
- wants the best for the students and for staff
A telephone call from somebody claiming to be a reporter at the local newspaper is put through to your desk, apparently a parent has written to complain about bullying at the school and you are invited to comment. What would your response be?
- holding response - can I call them back and get official number
- speak to Head
- reiterate school’s policy
- ask for details
- invite parent in
- seek to resolve
How do you deal with naughty boys?
- clear boundaries
- consistency
How do you deal with naughty girls?
- clear boundaries
- reinforce that I like them
- find out good things about them
What is your approach to improving the general behaviour around the school and to reducing exclusions. What role would you wish to see support staff playing in this?
General behaviour around school - identify areas; what problems are; consult with staff on ways forward or tweaks Example: behaviour at break (positioning of staff; supporting staff in getting out on time; open back door of canteen so quicker through Hall) - consistency of staff - clear what and why our expectations - sweat the small stuff - staff training - observation of key times - Student Voice
Exclusions: - analysis of behaviour data - interventions - early warning systems - external agencies - identification of SEN Example: fell by 33% last year; looking reduce further
How do you ensure consistency of approach by staff and departments within a school?
Example: presentation of classwork (Oftsed)
- clarity of rules
- clarity of reasons
- buy-in of all staff and middle leaders
- monitoring, observation of key times
- Student Voice
Leadership is about taking people with you. How do you do that? And what do you do with those who will not move?
Example: detention system
- consult - gets by-in
- put principles and vision at the heart
- Student Voice (very powerful) and parent voice
- monitor and verify
- distribute leadership so not just me but the school
- if failing to comply, deal with through Line Management
How would you deal with a member of staff who was struggling with an aspect of his/her role?
- investigate
- talk to them (or their line manager does this)
- needs clear steps they can take to improve
- monitor and evaluate
- incremental improvement
- use other staff as mentors or coaches
How would you communicate and sustain high expectations with the school team, both teaching and support staff?
- myself as role model
- keep on repeating the message
- observation
- staff training
- sue middle leaders - cannot do this alone
How do you maintain effective professional working relationships with teachers you dislike personally?
- make sure they know I like them
- if they act unprofessionally, needs to be dealt with (e.g. Head of Geog)
- stress how their ability to work well with others inc SLT is important to the students and their success
How important do you consider the role of middle management, and what strategies do you feel help to improve the quality of middle management?
- engine house of change
- self-evaluation
- leading T&L
- advising SLT
- need loyalty to school not their own team
- know their own data
- Middle Leaders training
- use NCSL materials
How do catering and cleaning staff contribute to school improvement?
- communicate ethos
- how we treat them as well
- without food …
- without clean rooms …
- how do we get the students to see their value and role?
How would you support the well-being of support staff?
???
What steps would you take to increase parent involvement with the school and the school’s involvement in the community?
- establish what want to achieve and why
- review school’s current communications with parents
- review number and type of parental events
- ask parents what they want
- ## identify areas of local and London community - through staff, parental and student ideas
Can you outline your view on the relationship between the governing body and the headteacher?
Governors are share holders, Head has overall strategic responsibility and day to day operational responsibility. Governors act as critical friend
What would be your first priorities if you were appointed to this post?
- Getting to know school, students, staff and parents
- Identifying areas of weakness - T&L, progress, SEN, GnT, curriculum, staff development
What do you think are your key strengths, weaknesses and interests that would help you in this role?
strengths:
- experience
- intelligence
- energy and effort
- ability to listen
- Teaching
- ability to motivate team and communicate ethos
- ability to develop staff
weaknesses:
- do not tend to socialise with staff (apart from brief appearance)
- like big change
interests
- philosophy
- education
- student and staff culture
If appointed, what training and professional development would you require?
- Get to know the school = observations and pupil pursuit, attendance at meetings
- Dealing with personnel issues
- Whole school Timetabling
- New qualifications and exam board training
What steps would you take to increase parent involvement with the school and the school’s involvement in the community?
Parents
- audit current communication system
- what is the aim
- identify hard to reach
- what do parents want
Community
- audit current communication system
- what is the aim
- what does the community want
How do you manage your time efficiently, with so many demands on school leaders?
Example:
- use of calendar and closed task lists
- delegate
What curricular decisions are explicitly taken at what level and by whom?
- subjects/setting/curriculum/assessment calendar = SLT
- long-term plans = SLT & MLs
- medium term plans/ SOW/ content of assessments = MLs
- short-term plans = Teachers
Describe one situation where you successfully delegated a non-trivial task, and one situation where you sought support for yourself.
non-trivial =
sought advice = many
sought support = Head of Geog
A member of staff is upset after a meeting with a parent. What would you do?
Example: BIV
How would you ensure that the school’s budget is targeted at school development plan priorities?
Example: current and previous budgets
How would you monitor standards of teaching and learning within departments in order to ensure the highest quality of provision and learning for all pupils
Example
- best is self-evaluation
- check against internal and external data
- student voice
- lesson observations and learning walks
- schemes of work
Explain how you have dealt with difficult personnel issues?
Example: Facebook
Example:
How would you cultivate and develop departmental self review so as to ensure good progress in standards of teaching and learning
- increase capacity and capability
- joint departmental reviews
- clear paperwork which supports them
- involve SLT
How would you ensure the timetable was effective and met the needs of the school?
Example: current timetable
- curriculum review (German in the end stayed)
- plan for curriculum changes
- staffing spreadsheet
- identify gaps
- use of staff under their allocation
How would you ensure that schemes of work and department handbooks are effectively updated by
Heads of Department?
Example: Sixth Form and KS3 schemes of work
- schemes of work - audit against books/folders
- department handbooks - not so much now - but should have a sheet for new staff
What is an effective homework policy?
Example: current homework policy
- clear
- based on core principals
- homework and feedback are linked
- responsibilities of different staff (pastoral, curricular, senior)
- policy not enough
- monitor and evaluate
- student and parental voice
- parents clear about frequency, quantity and purpose
- staff clear on nature and frequency
- clear sanctions for failure to complete
- manageable
- research suggests hwk effective if meaningful and stretches
How would you implement an ongoing programme of observation to ensure high standards of teaching and learning and to promote the sharing of best practice
Example: lesson observations and coaching
- move away from the single, monumental observation
- has to be linked to development of staff
- link to discussion and actions to improve
- use to identify common areas for improvement
- sharing best practice as first part of each subject and pastoral meeting
What is an effective Induction programme for new staff?
Example: Induction of new staff
- work with others
- whole school v subject based
- new subject leaders have different requirements but a lot the same
- appraisal of NQTs
- new-to-school staff
What is an effective appraisal system and what role would you play?
Example: appraisal system
- higher standards for subject leaders and those on Upper Pay Spine
- linked to standards National Standards for Headteacher (under review)
- must be element of payment by results (unsure if will work as no evidence it does)
- my role: to monitor and evaluate appraisal of subject leaders - quality assurance
- mid-year review
- accelerated progression
How do you ensure the subject areas you line manage continue to grow and deliver outstanding teaching and learning?
Example: MFL and Maths
- focus on T&L
- focus on staff development
- taking risks, monitoring and data
- student voice (Maths: in-class feedback; MFL: clarity of success criteria)
Tell us about some effective INSET you led and the impact it had?
Example: Independent and student-led learning
- based on own research
- led me to evaluate my won work and improve it
- use of ICT
- practical
- feedback from staff
Tell us about a project in which your data analysis skills contributed to the success of the project?
Example: IB results
- analysis of exam results
- analysis of individual papers and coursework elements
- changed internal data harvesting
- used internal data to identify students not making enough progress
How do you maintain your emotional resilience?
- down time
- take it as CPD - i.e. put things in perspective
- look at bigger picture
- support of family/friends outside school
Tell us about a project in which your knowledge and use of the School Information Management System contributed to the success of the project?
Example: behaviour
- developed use of behaviour module so all staff use it
- set up regular reports on achievements and behaviour incidents
- identify areas to act on
- identify students and groups who need more support
How do you maintain positive working relationships with colleagues, pupils and parent body?
- working at it
- parents: quick response and follow-up
- pupils:
- colleagues: supporting their professional development, having and interest in them, knowing their strengths, supporting them in improving their areas of weakness
Tell us about an outstanding lesson you taught recently and what made it outstanding?
Example: Critical Thinking
Example: Hungarian Uprising
Example: Descartes revision
Example: How much of a threat were Chartists?
How can data be used to raise attainment?
Example:
- Internal data (but how secure?)
- External data
- lesson observations and learning walks
What impact do the changes and proposed changes to education and the curriculum mean for our school? How would you manage this change?
- changes in qualifications
- changes in University entrance
- audit
- work with others
- curriculum review
How would you lead on the development of develop Literacy across the curriculum?
Example: Literacy
- Literacy teasers in newsletters
- training staff
- Reading Clubs and writing competitions
- Extreme Reading competitions
- events
- subject review
- exam script analysis
- reading lists
- teaching tips
- spelling bee
- word of the week (with rewards)
- Drop Everything and Read-
- Speaking
- Public Speaking competitions and training (content, skills, emotional resilience and confidence)
- marking for literacy (bit not necessarily all)
How would you ensure there was an effective transition programme for students?
Example: KS2-3, Into Sixth Form
- Identify what students find most difficult (academic, study skills, social, emotional, making choices for their future)
- work with others
How do you ensure that the curriculum is developed to secure effective learning by all students?
- establish what seeking to achieve
- pathways
- allow students to develop emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, physically, socially
- review current provision
- ask subjects to give rationale - help them articulate a vision for their subjects
- curriculum review
- evaluate T&L
How do you deal with bullying?
- listen
- analyse
- restorative justice
- parents informed
Why is single-sex education for girls important?
- Offers girls more opportunities to develop
- Leadership opportunities
- Glass ceiling still exists in education, politics, business etc.
- more likely to take risks
- more likely to play sport (less concerned about what is unfeminine and about body image)
- question not about what is natural but what benefits the girls
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
- Setting up Sixth Form
- Homework and Feedback
- Teaching Philosophy and Theory of Knowledge
- develop use of SIMS by school
- Developing T&L
What kind of teacher are you?
Example: Modern Age, Critical Think, Descartes
- plan
- rigorous
- engagement & enjoyment
- use of data
- ensure students have thorough knowledge of exam assessments
- variety of teaching activities
- use of ICT
- continuing professional development (subject knowledge & pedagogy)
How would you ensure all staff developed their expertise and practice?
Identification of needs (sch, indiv, dept)
Internal provision
Prefer research based - what works in this context, sharing practice, more sustained - then also externals who can support this
Evaluate impact
EXAMPLE CURRENT CPD MODEL
How do you manage staff performance?
1) Audit so identify strengths and weaknesses
2) coach or mentor - me or other - with targets (three max)
3) evaluate impact - with staff
EXAMPLE DAVE WEBB
Why did you become a teacher?
???
What are the main things you have learnt from your previous schools?
????
