Dr Rachel Hayton
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Doing more with less?
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Strengthening the skills, competencies and
abilities of people and communities (in
developing societies) so they can overcome the
causes of their exclusion and suffering. NGOs
Wikipedia
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Capacity development is the process by which
individuals and organisations develop the
ability to set and achieve their own objectives.
(Guardian 16.12.11)
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Offering local people the skills, resources and
support they need to participate as fully as
possible in developments (and activities that
affect Craigmillar) capacity building project Craigmillar
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Loss of senior education managers through
retirement
Cost cutting/saving
Centralisation of support
Feeling of not being listened to/heard.
Increasing demands
Inspection
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Being Well, Doing Well project
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Head Teacher request for supervision
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The major implication of these findings is that
if we want to improve school performance, we
also need to start paying attention to teacher
wellbeing. How teachers feel on an everyday
basis is likely to affect their performance and
so, in turn, the performance of the pupils they
teach.”
Professor Rob Briner & Dr Chris Dewberry
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Well-being refers to positive and sustainable
characteristics which enable individuals and
organisations to thrive and flourish.Well Being Institute,
University of Cambridge
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The concept of well-being comprises two main
elements: feeling good and functioning well.
Feelings of happiness, contentment, enjoyment,
curiosity and engagement are characteristic of
someone who has a positive experience of their
life. Equally important for well-being is our
functioning in the world. Experiencing positive
relationships, having some control over one’s
life and having a sense of purpose are all
important attributes of wellbeing. National Economic
Forum
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McBeath, Gronn, (2009) Recruitment and
retention of Headteachers in Scotland
Swaffield (2008) HT views of how they are
supported and challenged
Briner & Dewberry (2007) Staff Well-being is
Key to school success (revised 2010)
Managing workload
To take initiative in reviewing workloads, differentiating the important and
urgent from the urgent but unimportant.
To review current ways of working together as a management team with a
view to promoting effective senior management team work.
Support, professional development and networking
To seek out critical friends and make time for reflection, support and
challenge and actively promote resilient collegial support networks
To strengthen collegiate ways of working within the school that
distribute responsibilities and build mutual confidence in leadership
capacities
Top 5 characteristics of a person providing HT
support
 Shares good practice from elsewhere.
 Helps extend my thinking.
 Acts as a sounding board.
 Gives feedback on how I am doing
 I can speak to (this person) in confidence
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Handling personal relationships
Delegating responsibility
Managing student behaviour
Influencing pedagogy
Working collaboratively with other agencies
Improving student attendance
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Pilot cohort
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Why ‘reflective dialogue’?
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evaluation
The questions;
 1. Through Dialogue I have been able to…
 2. In future I would like…
 3. How, if at all, has Dialogue impacted on
teaching & learning in your school?
 4. Please comment on practical issue; timing
frequency, location, continuity, follow-up.
 5. Dialogue should be available to Head
Teachers who want it because….
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In small groups of two or three have a look at
the feedback on the handouts.
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What themes can you identify?
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Feedback to the group
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Question 1
Time
Personal /own
reflect/discuss
positives
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Question 2
Discuss/benefit
Positive and supportive
One to one discussion
My agenda
Positives/successes
Goal setting
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Question 3
Realise my strengths
Positive
My role
Goal setting and reflection
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Question 4
Flexible
Suitable for both parties
Worthwhile
helpful
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Question 5
Too few opportunities (for this sort of
discussion
Not an HT/ objective viewpoint
Positive/ supportive forum
Encouraged
(I) felt valued
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In small groups:
How do you think this approach might be
widened?
How might small psychology services
implement this approach?
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My colleague and I offered it across our schools
to all head teachers.
Over the course of last year we have had 7 new
takers for Reflective Dialogue.
It has been included as a source of HT CPD
within D&G
Other colleagues say they are doing this too.
We have had more requests this year.
Questions?
McBeath, Gronn, (2009) Recruitment and retention of Headteachers in
Scotland
Swaffield (2008) HT views of how they are supported and challenged
Briner & Dewberry (2007) Staff Well-being is Key to school success
(revised 2010)