The Reality of School Leadership: Coping with the Challenges, Reaping the Rewards

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Description

School leadership can be both immensely rewarding and deeply challenging. Headteachers are under intense pressure when dealing with issues that can range from dealing with difficult parents and the aftermath of tragedy or scandal, to the day-to-day challenges of juggling the many different priorities involved in keeping the school, students and staff, moving forward.
In their inspirational new book experienced headteachers Richard Parker and David Middlewood, bring together the personal and professional experiences of successful headteachers and principals, from both primary and secondary schools, to provide a real life guide to the challenge of leadership in education. The focus of the book is not on idealised theories of leadership but on the pragmatic realities faced by school leaders today. It provides practical guidance and advice on key areas including:
- Ideas and strategies for effective leadership
- Juggling priorities and avoiding possible distractions
- The importance of people-centred leadership
- Transferable skills and the unique nature of the job
- Maintaining passion and optimism and minimising fear and apprehension
- Developing leadership skills without losing your individual personality and values

The Reality of School Leadership is a must read for all current and aspiring leaders, eager to reap the rewards of the challenging profession of headship.

Reviews

This book presents a fascinating insight into what life is often really like at the chalk face of school leadership. Within a firm academic framework it shows how experienced and effective headteachers approach and deal with the daily issues which affect their lives and the lives of staff and students. All school leaders at whatever stage of their careers will gain something from this book, which fully engages the reader but never becomes a manual. This book is essential reading for anyone who aspires to become a headteacher. * Ian Abbott, Director, Institute of Education, University of Warwick. *

For any serving school leader or for anyone with aspiration for school leadership this book by Richard and David will provide useful advice, give some insight into the challenges, but most importantly of all will provide a motivation to get involved in a leadership career with the richest rewards. How nice to have a book that is easy to read, has complete intellectual clarity and is unburdened by the shackles that often inhibit a traditional academic publication.
A quote from the book is find people in your school and outside it whose opinions and judgement you can trust and use them as sounding boards. The authors of this book can be trusted and this publication can be a great sounding board for any serious school leader.

* Mike Griffiths, Principal, The Samworth Church Academy *
In writing a book so refreshingly clear, thoughtful and, ultimately, optimistic about modern headship, Parker and David Middlewood have done the profession a great service. * tes *

Author Bio

Richard Parker spent over 40 years in teaching, nearly half of those as a headteacher. He was an associate tutor at the University of Leicester teaching educational leadership, a research associate with the NCSL and a member of the team at the University of Warwick commissioned to review headteacher succession planning.

David Middlewood is a research fellow at the Institute of Education, University of Warwick and was a headteacher for nine years previous to that. David has authored and edited over 17 books and he is a visiting professor in South Africa and New Zealand.