Down with the Kids

Leaving secondary to become a primary head has opened Peter Knight’s eyes to the benefits of changing phases – even when it means covering nursery in his best suit...

Am I right for the job? This was the question I kept asking myself when, as an ex-secondary PE / geography teacher, I chose to become a primary head. Did I know enough about the phase to carry out the changes needed at the school? And with a shortage of primary teachers moving into leadership, why did I decide to take on such a high-pressure role?

One of my main concerns was whether I would be able to pitch my interactions with the pupils in the right way. Whether it is leading assemblies, or dealing with behavioural problems, how you talk to and deal with primary school pupils requires a different approach from secondary students. Having a child cry on entering my office was somewhat disconcerting.

Day-to-day interactions with the children are also different. As a secondary teacher coming into primary I often ask “Am I being too silly? Do I look like Willy Wonker?” But this is one of the best things about primary school teachers – their ability to generate excitement about learning. Working with younger students, it often feels as if there are fewer barriers and that over-enthusiasm is OK – which makes me wonder why we feel less comfortable doing this in secondary schools.

While it is definitely true to say that the different age ranges and ability levels require a change of approach, this doesn’t mean that age should be used as an excuse not to try out ideas. If you believe that you have a method that will enhance your pupils’ learning then it is worth trying out. I introduced a strategy for our Year 6 pupils that had previously shown results with Year 11 students: taking them off-site in the run-up to their GCSEs and ‘hot-housing’ them in English and maths. As Year 6 pupils are younger and already under pressure as SATs approach, we adopted a more relaxed style, but I felt that there were still a lot of benefits to be had by taking them out of school and into a new environment in the run-up to their exams.

I am extremely fortunate to have a deputy with whom I work very closely to manage the school; we support each other’s decisions, but also contribute skills and knowledge that the other needs to develop. My deputy has been a vital source of information about the primary curriculum, but I also believe my lack of preconceptions has been an asset. Coming from outside the primary sector means that I bring a new ideas and a fresh approach that may not be considered by leaders who have worked their way up through primary (this, of course, applies to leaders moving in the other direction as well).

The sheer difference in size between the average primary and secondary school really does raise challenges when crossing the phase barrier. In some ways, leading a smaller primary school could be seen as easier – a smaller workforce to oversee, a smaller community with which to engage, and fewer national pressures in terms of results and attainment. But don’t you believe it –  they are equally, if not more, challenging. Headteachers in secondary schools tend to be supported by a large senior leadership team and heads of department. Primaries have much smaller leadership teams and consequently there’s nowhere to hide, particularly when it comes to parental involvement or covering a nursery session in your best suit. The smaller community and age of the children means that parents expect heads to be accessible and visible around the school, especially when they have concerns or problems. I make sure that I am in the playground at the start and end of the school day as much as possible, to greet students and parents and to give members of our community the chance to talk informally with my team and me.

Historically there have been few teachers or school leaders who cross over to ‘the other side’ during the course of their careers. However, with increasing numbers of federated and all-through schools, I believe it is becoming more and more important for educators to have a good understanding of all phases of learning. We need to avoid silo thinking and instead look at how the differences in the phases can offer new solutions to old problems.

Peter Knight took part in Future Leaders – a development programme for aspiring headteachers of challenging schools. It offers a residency year, personalised coaching and peer-support through a network of more than 300 Future Leaders. To apply or find out more about the programme, please visit future-leaders.org.uk/teachprimary

About the author

Future Leader Peter Knight is headteacher at Oasis Academy Bank Leaze.