Supportive leadership - do they exist?

[natterer]

I'm in primary. I have some really good relationships with colleagues including some of SLT. But over the last two years things in school have deteriorated. There have always been issues with SLT and we've had some leadership changes that seem to have made things worse.

I am thinking about looking for a job in another school. But genuinely I don't know if it is better anywhere else. Specifically are there SLT who really care about workload and staff wellbeing? Ours, when it comes down to it, just don't, but there are other positives about the school that make it not as simple as 'just get out now'.

I'd welcome responses from people who have moved school and regretted it, or who have never looked back. Is it possible to know what the culture of a school is really like before you start working there?!

Schools do vary, as do SLTs.

Although they often come under a lot of pressure from the people they answer to.

I've worked in 5 primaries over 20 years.

Nearly all the members of the SLT I've worked with have been decent, supportive people.

Your title is a bit provocative!

Yes. I genuinely believe my head does care. I'm in primary too and the school I was at previously was totally different.

I'm a member of our SLT but I'd like to think I'm very supportive and I know that the other staff in our team definitely are.

It's a difficult balance. We do care about workload and wellbeing but, at the same time, we're also realistic about the current level of expectation in the sector and the needs of our children.

My previous head didn't care about staff at all and would openly tell us all that every single one of us was "easily replaceable". It was hilariously ironic as she then couldn't recruit comparable teachers when a number of us resigned to take up other posts.

I’ve worked in a school where I basically got bullied out of my job— over scrutinised during an Ofsted year, my child who attended the school not granted her option choices. This was despite my classes getting good exam results and working my socks off. Also worked in schools where the management are supportive. I am surprised there aren’t more people reporting experiences like mine on here….on the old tes forum there was a post about 35 pages long made up purely of stories pretty much like this. I was horrified when I stumbled across it, though it comforted me that I was not alone. Not to be provocative but despite the fact that OF CoURSE caring SLT’s exist - I suspect that bullying is utterly ingrained in teaching and I think one day it will come out.

Being made to sign agreements not to speak a word about what has happened are commonplace. Being observed in a “supportive” way and being told that progress must be shown on a weekly basis over 6 weeks and then sending a different member of SLT to observe (and of course issue “requires improvement “) each time until you actually start making mistakes is not acceptable. It was my experience though. Didn’t think I would teach again but I have just got back into it via supply. I had to teach a different subject as I was too triggered by my old subject. Had to do cleaning jobs for 2 years as I just could barely even drive past a school for some time!

I think that supportive management exist. In an interview I think that you should consider that you are checking out them as much as they are checking out you! Observe them, get a sense of how they speak and whether they seem like egotistical arse wipes or not. Kind people shone through even in a formal situation. Good luck!

Sorry for rant. I hadn’t thought about it for a while but clearly I am still angry! Mainly for my child but also for myself.

My SLT has always been extremely supportive to me. Supported me through my year gaining QTS, still very supportive now, we’re very good when I landed in hospital and was suddenly signed off for a month.

Some of my colleagues will say the opposite, they’re a dictatorship who don’t listen.

It will vary. My opinion, they do exist. Just like good and bad, lazy and over working, rude and friendly, not trustworthy and always trustworthy colleagues at your own level.

Maybe a better question would be: how do you find a school with a truly supportive ethos? @SiliconDioxide79 your point about getting a measure of SLT during interview is a good one.

I did flatten a lot of nuance in my original post to try and get an idea of how you get an impression of what a school is actually like to work in. Obviously SLT are under pressure from above, have to be accountable, are not all one amorphous blob etc. But ultimately they have a responsibility to protect the people below them - just like we as class teachers have a responsibility to protect the children we teach from the pressures and stresses on us.

I'm in secondary so it is probably different, but I find the people who want to go into Headship are exactly the sort of people who shouldn't be Heads. It's such an awful job I think you have to really relish the power to want to do it. I've worked under 4 heads and found all unsupportive in varying ways. SLT around them tend to be yes people who follow the Head in whatever they say.