National Leaders of Education
Catherine Morley, Headteacher, Theale C of E Primary School
Main areas of specialism: Creating engagement and vibrancy in learning through effective curriculum design. Self-evaluation and school improvement. How to use data analysis effectively to drive up achievement. Transforming leadership teams and individual leaders so that schools become successful. Practical support, guidance and advice for school leaders. Effective leadership of Church schools. Effective leadership of schools with SEN resource centres.
I have been privileged to be a headteacher of two primary schools as well as an executive headteacher in a further school. My first headship experience was in a small rural village school, where I balanced school leadership with a teaching commitment. My second experience of headship is in a larger primary school, with an SEN resource centre for ASD pupils. I am executive headteacher of a small rural primary school and a further one form entry primary school which is growing one year at a time.
I have been an LLE since 2010 and an NLE since 2012. This role was an important choice for me; it has enabled me to work alongside colleague headteachers to share ideas and learn alongside them. As a result, I have become better equipped to lead my own school and in turn to offer more outreach to schools and multi academy trusts.
School support is both exciting and can be a little daunting for both parties! I believe it is essential to strike the right balance between support, guidance and challenge and so my approach is always to find out your preferred approaches and to understand your context. I begin with a needs analysis, conducted jointly with you and through this find out about your school, its journey and any barriers to change. Then together we formulate a plan that will build both capacity and confidence throughout the school. I believe in helping schools to establish straightforward approaches to change so my advice and work with you is very much solution focused and is as ‘hands-on’ and practical as you need. An HMI report from a recent deployment stated that ‘sound advice is given and place to improve are now more precise and measured……having a positive impact on raising standards’.
In my current headship and executive headship of ‘outstanding’ schools, I am also able to draw on a wide range of expertise and skill from my staff team to support the development of specific aspects of practice in your school. An Ofsted report from a previous deployment stated that ‘the LLE and members of her team spent at least two days a week coaching and working alongside the leadership team….this comprehensive support has had a positive impact’.
It is extremely rewarding to see how such support can make a huge difference to schools. Alongside the successful raising of standards and achievement, I have been able to see changes in culture and ideas where life and learning becomes exciting and enthralling again.