There were thirty nine Camden Deputy and Assistant Headteachers representing schools from across Camden at our conference last Friday. They enjoyed a rare opportunity to meet as a group and share ideas, as well as hear from keynote speakers Michelle Moore and Rena Johnson. The roles of Deputy and assistant Headteachers are varied but most often they will be leading work to develop pedagogy and inclusive practice in schools and through this they may often be closer to the pulse of staff than the headteacher. This makes them a valuable source of sense checking and communication. Nothing fully prepares you for the role of being a Headteacher, not least the sudden expectation that you are an expert on boiler renewal and toilet design, but it is as a Deputy or Assistant headteacher that you start to understand better the weighty responsibilities and decision making that the role brings.

Building a trusted and effective senior leadership team makes a significant difference to a school and in the current recruitment climate, talent spotting and developing leaders internally is more important than ever. Ensuring that skills are allowed to develop, not just through experiences but also through opportunities to stand back and reflect on leadership styles and practice is critical. It is possible in the immediacy of the school day to forget the stages of learning that are needed to become confident in senior roles. Realistically this can only be achieved through the deliberate engineering of time to allow this.

That there were so many Camden school leaders released for the day last Friday demonstrates a healthy common commitment to their professional development. In the coming year Camden Learning will again be offering senior leader breakfast briefings, network meetings, master classes on themes such as team management and difficult conversations as well as National Professional Qualifications in Senior Leadership and Leading Teacher Development. These sessions will be aligned with a strong understanding of our local context and needs, and I hope that you will look to these to support and develop your senior leaders in the coming year. For those of you who like to plan further ahead, please also make a note of our Camden Headteachers conference which will be on 16 and 17 January 2025. However, perhaps better not think of winter at this point, for anyone not counting there are now no more than 18 working days until the Summer break. Hang in there!

Stephen Hall

Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning