No QTS, no headship? Schools accused of shunning 'outsiders'
Non-teachers with headship qualifications are not on a “level playing field” with those from teaching backgrounds when applying for posts because schools are extremely sceptical about their aptitude, an aspiring headteacher has claimed.
Non-teachers with headship qualifications are not on a “level playing field” with those from teaching backgrounds when applying for posts because schools are extremely sceptical about their aptitude, an aspiring headteacher has claimed.
Julie White-Zamler, a former marketing expert turned assistant head, claims the growing recruitment crisis will not be solved unless the Government does more to promote the benefits of taking on heads without classroom experience.
Although Ms White-Zamler was accepted on to the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) last October, she has struggled to find headships to apply for because most insist on candidates being qualified teachers.
Of 14 jobs she has considered in the past two months, just two said qualified teacher status (QTS) was not essential. The NPQH is only open to people deemed “ready to take up a substantive post as a head within 12 months”.
Ms White-Zamler, who marketed alcoholic drinks, wet-wipes and opthalmic lenses before becoming an assistant head at an independent school, funded the £3,800 NPQH course herself. But she says schools are failing to take her seriously.
She believes that the course, which involved her working in three state schools, has prepared her well for the role. But she says schools have little understanding of her skills.
She said: “It is frustrating. There are two local primaries which can’t find a headteacher and they won’t even interview me. The idea that they won’t even look at a non-QTS is very sad as they would rather the school went without a head.”
She said many schools might fear that non-teacher heads would “skew” the focus away from the core of teaching and learning.
“My background in marketing might make governors think I would be more interested in what colour the walls are painted or how the hedges are cut and the look of the school brochure, but that is not the case,” she said.
Ms White-Zamler moved into education in May 2005, when she was appointed marketing manager for Cranford House, a private school in Oxfordshire.
As her role developed, she became heavily involved in school improvement and was made an assistant head in 2008.
“I did the NPQH because I wanted to move into the state sector. The teaching and learning bit is my area of weakness, but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn it.
“You don’t need to be a teacher to know when a lesson is amazing.
“I’ve worked in a school for six years; I’m not someone who has come in off the street.”
The need for headteachers to have QTS was lifted in 2003, following recommendations. In addition, an independent report by consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2007 said lack of QTS should be “no barrier to leadership” (see box).
But the National College says that of 32,000 people who have taken the NPQH in the past decade, less than 1 per cent were not qualified teachers.
And despite a recruitment crisis in primaries and secondaries losing an increasing number of experienced heads to retirement, there are few examples of non-teachers being promoted to headship.
Peter Noble, the first state-school leader without school experience, left his job as chief executive of the Richard Rose Federation in Carlisle after one of its academies was placed in special measures.
Russell Hobby, general secretary of heads’ union the NAHT, said he still believed non-teacher heads were “not a good idea” although it was conceivable that a chief executive of a federation or chain who was performing a “paid governor” role could do the job without classroom experience.
“It’s a question of credibility; you need someone to focus on teaching and learning in charge of the school,” Mr Hobby said.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “We want heads to have a wide range of skills and experience so they can make a positive impact on raising standards.”
‘No barrier to leadership’
A 2007 government-commissioned report by PricewaterhouseCoopers first promoted the idea of non-teacher heads. It said the changing nature of school leadership meant it was no longer essential for heads to have direct classroom experience.
“It is our view that, where a school (or group of schools) has decided to separate out the chief operating officer role from the professional leadership role, then there should be no barrier to an individual without qualified teacher status taking on that leadership role,” the report said.
“Such individuals could well have long-standing experience of working in a school environment or in a wider children’s services or voluntary sector setting, but they could also be from other backgrounds that provide relevant skills.”
Comment (13)
Those who believe non-teachers can effectively lead modern schools have never actually led one themselves and are beguiled by the notion that most heads are 'bureaucrats'. No, they're not - they're held accountable for standards of teaching and learning. Saying 'You don't have to be a teacher to know what a good lesson looks like' is too simplistic - you need to be a teacher to be able to show staff how to make their lessons good. I know what good football looks like, but I couldn't manage or coach a football team.
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13:16
7 May, 2011
Middlemarch
Isn't there a clue in the job title - "Headteacher?"
I might have a degree in criminology but i don't think that alone would get me on the shortlist for a job as Chief Constable.
cp
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20:37
8 May, 2011
sparky_clogger
"The teaching and learning bit is my area of weakness" - as a Headteacher, 'the Teaching and Learning bit' is my whole job. Unless a Head can lead on this they can't lead a school effectively. I fancy being a doctor it's just the medical bit that I can't do!
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7:22
9 May, 2011
SouthGlosHead
Middlemarch,
Saying 'You don't have to be a teacher to know what a good lesson looks like'..........this isn't just too simplistic it is factually WRONG!
I am aware that there are Ofsted inspectors with a civil service background and no experience in teaching but generally we can spot these a mile away!
I don't think this is question of credibility: A so-called headteacher without a teaching background is not a headteacher they are a senior manager.
People can sell you a bike even if they can't ride one. A non-teaching senior manager could run the organisation known as a school but they'd need to have a credible assistant who could actually organise the Teaching & Learning side of that school.
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10:29
9 May, 2011
Brooke Bond
Ms White-Zamler, you truly disgust me. In times of so-called financial austerity you just want to find yourself in a happy and safe place. Oh God.
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13:07
10 May, 2011
antybohaterka
The bigoted and small minded nature of some of these posts is shocking. As educators we should be willing to listen, explore new and different alterntives and be open to change.
Has it occurred to antybohaterka that Ms White-Zamler may wish to be given the opportunity to help improve the lives of our young people? That like many of us she may be drawn to the profession hoping that she can be a positive asset? It would appear that she has chosen a difficult path - fraught with negative preconceptions and small minded attitudes - surely this should be admired?
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15:02
10 May, 2011
VixLix
Why doesn't she just DO QTS!???
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14:53
11 May, 2011
DaisysLot
Why doesn't she just gain QTS!???
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14:53
11 May, 2011
DaisysLot
I suppose it comes down to the view of some people that just because someone actually went to schoolthemself as a child that they understand what teaching is - unfortunately they don't. Perhaps as a teacher, I could manage an NHS trust or a legal practice?? I doubt it. How did we as a profession ever get to the point where this sort of nonsense was allowed to happen? They should at least get QTS before they do a NPQH as a prerequisite. Having said that, I work in a school wher the deputy head has only one year of classroom teaching experience- I cant say I am impressed.
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22:26
12 May, 2011
verdgris
How unfair.... why should you become a head? Soon, youll have school keepers saying they want to be head because tgey know what good teaching and learning looks like. By the way why were you made an assistant uead in the first place? Some folks find it soo easy to jump the fence while others have to take the journey on the long and narrow road...wish i had your luck...
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9:29
14 May, 2011
leavinglondon
Julie White-Zamler has also been marketing herself on the radio (Radio 5 Live and Radio Oxford) with several hundred consequent web links referring to her as the headteacher with "no classroom experience". Google her name. This accolade of "no lack of classroom experience" appears on websites aimed at those involved in education as far afield as Kalkan, Turkey and The Congo. As a "marketing expert", she clearly believes that any news at all, even news stressing the negatives, is good news.
(One wonders if the reference to her being a "marketing expert" is a description that she has given herself).
It may also be useful to know the opinions of Julie White-Zamler’s former colleagues in her former school as to her abilities as an assistant head (in addition to their views as to her ability as a marketing manager).
She joined Cranford House, a small independent school, to take charge of the marketing. She later became an assistant head. (Cranford House is, no doubt, thrilled to bits that its name is on the internet as the school that appointed an assistant head who had no classroom experience).
She made several significant changes. She was made redundant. She says that she "did the NPQH because I wanted to move into the state sector." Move from where, exactly? She was no longer in the independent sector.
I would wager that those former colleagues would agree whole-heartedly with the comments of one contributor to a web discussion in saying: “In my experience, the younger headteachers in the profession, who’ve often been fast-tracked to headship, tend to be quite bureaucratic and obsessed with “making their mark” — instituting loads of changes — but not really concentrating on the nitty-gritty of helping teachers get better at their job.”
If this is true of fast-tracked headteachers who are qualified teachers, how much truer is it likely to be of a fast-tracked marketing 'manager' into headship?
Julie White-Zamler's former colleagues are, no doubt, following Julie White-Zamler’s career with interest.
My understanding is that, in order to become a teacher in the UK in the State system, a university graduate has to undertake a Postgraduate Certificate of Education. This is viewed as an intensive course both in the practical teaching placements and in the study of child education and development. After this one-year postgraduate course, those successful are only then eligible to begin their careers as newly-qualified teachers. The traditional route to headship follows after many years of teaching experience.
Can a non-teacher with experience as a manager in a small private independent school (Julie White-Zamler) offer the same degree of understanding of the teaching and learning environment as an experienced, qualified teacher? The answer is clearly, no. But is this important when being asked to lead a school of teachers?
It would be useful to know if those supporting a non-teaching head have any experience of teaching within a school. I suspect that the majority of those advocating non-teaching headships do not.
But surely there must be some merit in appointing a senior and highly-qualified manager to run the administration of a large organisation? The leader of a large NHS Trust is seldom a doctor or consultant. But such leaders do not become involved in how surgeons carry out the operations. Would a non-teaching head of a school be able to resist the temptation to become involved in educational matters? Indeed, is there a requirement for a head of a school to become so involved? In relation to Julie White-Zamler, she did become so involved.
Ultimately, in the private sector, fee-paying parents will make this decision. In the State sector, one suspects that the teaching profession, and it is a ‘profession’ and should protect that status, will have a lot to say.
An interesting question is why Julie White-Zamler did not do a PGCE. Why does she not do the course now? Perhaps the answer is that it is not easy to get onto a PGCE. Did she apply, by any chance, and not be successful? Julie White-Zamler will, no doubt, be keen to tell us.
The important question therefore becomes: is it easier to get onto the NPQH than onto a PGCE course? This is a question, and an important one, for the NPQH.
And as for PricewaterhousCoopers telling us that heads do not need to be qualified teachers? Thanks, managing consultants and qualified accountants, for the advice. And, particularly, in relation to the perceived need for "the teaching and learning bit" (as Julie White-Zamler would call it).
In all seriousness, there is little if any chance of Julie White-Zamler ever being appointed to a headship in this country (or in Kalkan or The Republic of Congo for that matter!), but there is a serious issue here about non-qualified teachers becoming heads.
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22:03
14 May, 2011
drg000
Why does JWZ not seek a headship in the private sector? Her limited experience of schools has been in the private sector, in the small independent school called Cranford House where her former colleagues and the governors have, no doubt, very fond memories of her. Her two children are still at the school. (Was this part of her redundancy package?) The fees for her course at the esteemed and clearly hard-to-get-onto NPQH course was paid by her former school. (Was this part of her redundancy package?) JWZ is clearly not against the private sector on grounds of principle. So why is she not trying for a headship in the independent, private sector? Surely her reputation in the independent sector will go before her? And, in order to be a teacher in the private sector, one does not need to be a qualified teacher. So, again, why is she targeting the State sector? Any reference from Cranford House will, no doubt, be carefully drafted to say what a wonderful asset she was at the school.
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22:06
8 July, 2011
cranfordhouseschool
Let the managers manage and the teachers teach! We are talking about two very different roles.
With quality CPD, sharing best practice with cluster schools and drawing on the wealth of good to outstanding teachers we already have in the profession, teacing and learning standards would rise.
We just need good leadership to manage this process.
The business of running a school can be done by managers, but the business of improving teaching and learning needs specialist educational input. I would advocate a restructure of primary schools where very often good teachers are shoe horned into headship which they don't naturally have the skills for.
The job titles and egos are the barrier to schools moving forward.
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13:11
13 November, 2012
juliespry