My NAHT Presidential Year comes to a close.

I wanted to take the opportunity to record a few words in my last few days as President.

I'd like to thank the Northern Ireland committee and Colm and Michael in particular for a wonderful couple of days at the last National Executive in Belfast.

Well it all started with Children singing in Liverpool and I was delighted with a standing ovation for the presidential speech -  the entrance to the gala evening will last long in my, and my family's, memory.

Any President will tell you that it is their aim is to leave the association in a better place than where they began - our members rightly demand nothing less. In Kenya there is a term used by a previous President, Daniel Arap Moi - 'Nyayo' which means leaving footprints in life. 

One or two shared footprints from 2010/2011:

Firstly, the Bedouin tent has of necessity, with the refurbishment of the former Bonnington Hotel, meant the National Executive seeing other parts of the Country this year, but I believe that places like Bath and Belfast have shown we can at times conduct our business outside of London very successfully as a national association. A balance in someway with a revitalized Bonnington or Hilton Doubletree as it will be known, would be good.  

We had a positive changeover of General Secretary without the pain and dislocation that could have occurred. We also have indisputably the right General Secretary, and we have had an excellent working relationship.

A restructuring of HQ is well advanced to place us in a position to meet the needs and aspirations of our members. We must now ensure that this promise is fulfilled. 
I appreciate the considerable effort of many staff to make high quality provision for Member's needs.
 
We have had a new Government with an electoral mandate. In meeting with Ministers it is clear that they now take the Association as a serious organization with gravitas and they are in a better position to consider education policy if they talk with us first as recent progress has demonstrated. Fewer u turns will then be necessary. We need the 'Freedom to flourish'.

This blog illustrates just some of the engagement such as speeches, articles and discussions which I've been able to have with Branches, Regions, other school leader organizations, government, media, and individual members. This is frankly a punishing schedule throughout the year.         

I have been particularly pleased, following the lengthy and ultimately fruitless efforts of a working party of council in a previous year, to lead a task and finish group - and I pay tribute to that group - which has led to the new method of National Executive working including the introduction of a new committee structure and in particular the information session which ensures all executive members leave here richer and better able to perform your roles in the districts branches regions and sectors. These excellent foundations are now ready to be further built upon.

At times I frankly admit I could have had a much quieter life at one or two points and go through the motions, but that is not me and I have always tried to work by principle and as custodian of the naht best interests. This has required on occasion telling individuals to wake up and smell the coffee. This has been done carefully, often behind the scenes, and invariably taken with good grace. 

I think our debate and engagement in the National Executive this year has been rigorous, but in good humour and should command the respect of our members for these efforts and expertise and that of our HQ staff in developing and carrying out association policy always with the best interests of members at heart. There is no better voice when a member feels the world is caving in, or they just need support to do their job that little bit better, than the NAHT.

We have challenges such as developing the use of video conferencing which is so much better than teleconferencing and could enable colleagues to effectively engage at a lower cost in the range of smaller meetings we have.

I have met some great colleagues and characters around the Country from Northumberland to Ian Bruce in Cornwall, from Tom Thompson on the Isle of Man to John Deare on the Isle of Wight, and Windermere to the indefatigable Barbara Letchford in Kent, and a sane view in the New Forest from David Mewes. Many of these with National Executive colleagues quietly ensure the NAHT challenges the unfair, the uninspiring and unacceptable which causes so much anxiety and sleepless nights for school leaders who are simply doing their very best for the next generation.      

I intend to undertake the role of Immediate Past President and support Chris and Steve, but I am also looking to restore and develop my family life. In July, Veronicah is having twins and has just been successful in gaining a place on a PGCE course. I am looking forward to returning as Headteacher of Goddard Park in Swindon and working with the whole school community again. This will be my 25th year as a Head - a brilliant job - and 20 years in Goddard Park with my fabulous team and children. 

I would like to thank my wife, Veronicah, and my daughters Zoe and Sally, my grandchildren and many friends for their support this year.  My little James: the innocence and unconditional love of this little boy is the light of my life.

I would like to thank you for your kindness and support in this most unique year in my life. 
I am, and will always remain, so proud to have been National President of the NAHT. 

Thank you. 

The blog continues.......

November, April, and August: international engagement and decision-making

Alan November updated some of his previous talks with a positive view of children's engagement with the Internet. He provided excellent examples of how pupils' work could end up on e.g. School tube, and You Tube. 
I again held key talks with representatives of international school leader associations considering joining the International Confederation of Principals  (which NAHT is a Member of), including the NAESP who are carefully developing their position. ICP are extending Observer status to both NAESP (Elementary and NASSP (Secondary School Principals) for it's Council meeting at the 2011 ICP Convention in August in Toronto.
ICP is engaged in a reform programme designed to improve it's engagement with national associations and to share good practice throughout the world. Key players include Ontario Principals Council, and IPPN in Ireland.
A 'Plan B' should this fail to thrive is the possible creation of a World Forum charging individual schools being developed by Ton Duif in the Netherlands. 
Toronto will be an important juncture for these discussions.     

24 hours to Tampa (with apologies to Gene Pitney and Tulsa)

The last Conference of my Presidential year is the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in the US. It's taking place in Tampa, Florida, a State I've never been to. In order to keep expenditure down my relatively cheap flight meant travelling from Heathrow to O'Hare in Chicago, and then flying south east to Tampa.
As part of the Kenyan dispora one of Veronicah's best friends from her early working days Tina, lives in Tampa with Mario, and their seven-month old son, Malik. So again I paid for Veronicah and James to accompany me at the Conference. As it's the Easter break immediately afterwards we are then moving from the Conference hotel to stop with Tina and Mario, before going on a driving tour of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and finally arriving in Washington DC to stop with Veronicah's cousin, Minneh who has just become engaged to Chris. A later stopover is taking us to Dallas to meet another cousin, Grace, who is married to Kelvin and have Leon and Kamau. 
I'm particularly interested in the American Civil War and hope to see several key sites.

The Conference began with Sir Ken Robinson the UK's guru on creativity who now very creatively lives permanently in Los Angeles which he says is a short plane ride from America. His message is of vital importance however: that education systems should be encouraging creativity, passion, spirit, and energy with children in order to engage and prosper in the future.

Ken talks of Wayne Gretsky, the great Ice hockey player, who said that he never went to where the puck was, but where he thought it would be next! The backward-looking accountability loved by Governments and media is stifling children, and encourages teaching to tests which leads to meaningless grind. Of course children need to communicate and be numerate, but current 'if it moves measure it' systems are letting them down.
I refer again to Finland where, in one of the world's highest achieving education systems, there is no external assessments until the age of 18.
Ken may spend a considerable amount of time working with corporations now looking at creativity, but it is they amongst others who will employ our children. The CBI and others in the UK now rate very highly, for example, the ability to work in teams. Are we taking any notice? 

Not just a dark blues win in the boat race.

An excellent day with colleagues at a Presidential Seminar (and Workshop) on responding to the Government's consultation on the National Curriculum, in Wolfson College, Oxford. Representatives of Primary, Secondary, and Special Committees, National Officers, and key HQ staff took part. It was an excellent meeting with the opportunity to listen, think, and debate on the future of of the NC. The NAHT has always stood for a framework curriculum that does not over-prescribe detail, thereby entrusting teachers with pedagogy rather than civil servants. The heavy schedule of modern life can lead to reductionism, whereby major issues are dealt with in five minutes in a meeting, or by soundbite in the media. This day heralded a positive approach and continued the improved level of engagement and scrutiny this year by the National Executive that members would and should expect of us.

On the rails this week with First Great Western, Arriva Wales, and Virgin Cross Country.

The intensive schedule continues unabated.
On 21st March I had two meetings including Strategy at the Commonwealth Club just off Trafalgar Square.
On the Tuesday in the same venue I Chaired my last joint meeting of NHT and ASCL  in the morning and then Chaired the NAHT/ASCL/NGA/ADCS in the afternoon. Both were forward looking meetings which were intended to further develop the close working relationships and consider our positions on the key issues in accountability including governance, austerity, autonomy, as well as teaching and learning, curriculum, and pay and conditions. This always leads to a full meeting with interesting debate. In the evening I made my way by train and car to deepest Wiltshire to meet a group of Governors.
Wednesday was a four hour round trip to be the key speaker at the Dorset, Bournemouth, and Poole AGM. This also marked the retirement of Margaret Davies, Dorset Branch Secretary, who has made an invaluable contribution to the position of school leaders in the County. I am pleased that Vanessa Lucas, another Weymouth Headteacher, took on the mantle. The work of our Branch Secretaries is vital in each LA, and probably even more so as Governance becomes more dispersed with the advent of academies.
Thursday meant catching a train to Chepstow - a beautiful route into Wales from Gloucester and Cheltenham - to speak at the Bristol school leaders residential. Then another train immediately afterwards to Leeds. The train is crowded with racegoers going home from Chepstow after a full card. All shapes and sizes, but a smattering of younger participants with what would be seen as clothing to watch horse racing in: brown flat hats, and checked waistcoats. Although carefully affected it was still good to see some thought of tradition in these youths. I arrived in Leeds at 10.45pm to be met in the bar by three Executive Members and the General Secretary - any thought of an early night vanished, and a good time was had by all.
Friday involved introducing the NAHT Education Conference (North) and then the usual double-act with Russell when completing his session. A quick lunchtime dash to Leeds station had us on a train to Grantham for the Lincolnshire Branch AGM. About 80 Members were present and they were very focussed on the future work of the Branch. After our presentations there was an overwhelming request for a further special Branch Meeting on the academy programme which I agreed to attend. The key discussions were on SATs and Pensions - themes in virtually all my recent Branch Meetings.
The train home and a relatively early finish at 7pm on Friday and able to catch up with Veronicah and play with James was very welcome.

and the winner is..........

The Education Resource Awards at the Motorcylcle Museum in Birmingham are held each year on the Friday of the Education Show at the NEC. BESA encourage educational suppliers to seek awards for a range of quality provision from the best with, and without, the latest technology. As our Members are heavily interested in quality products for our schools, the NAHT supports two Awards: School Leadership, and School innovation. Using my knowledge of watching far too many OSCARS and BAFTA ceremonies, I introduce a dramatic pause before announcing the winning name. This is followed by a crescendo of noise from the winners and no doubt silent groan from those who just missed out.