By Gavin Mackintosh-
An excellent study by the Education Policy Institute about the critical role of headteachers in shaping students’ academic progress and potential life earnings has been published, after the reputable organization received an exemption to obtain the information.
The Department Of Education has for years collated information about every student and secondary school in the UK, from which the reputable Education Policy Institute diligently conducted its research.
The research, conducted using national data from 2004 to 2019, scrutinized the influence of 22,300 primary and 5,400 secondary headteachers on metrics such as pupil progress, teacher turnover, and teacher absences.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) is an independent, impartial, and evidence-based research institute that promotes high quality education outcomes, regardless of social background.
The organization achieves this through data-led analysis, innovative research and high-profile events
The study identifies an “effective” headteacher as one who ranks in the 84th percentile of effectiveness concerning their impact on school results, while an “average” headteacher falls at the median, and a “less effective” head ranks at the 16th percentile.
The research found that a secondary school replacing a less-effective head with an average leader could expect pupil progress to improve by one month on average, equivalent to an extra grade in one GCSE subject.
For primary schools, the impact is even more significant, with a change from a less-effective to an average head resulting in approximately two months of additional progress.
However, the most striking discovery is that a secondary school switching from a less-effective head to an effective head could anticipate an average improvement equivalent to an extra grade in two GCSE subjects.
Noteworthy from this research is that an additional grade in a GCSE is estimated to translate into about £8,000 in additional lifetime earnings.
Life Earnings
An average secondary school with 1,000 pupils, making the switch from an average headteacher to an effective one and retaining them for five years could potentially add a staggering £8 million to the lifetime earnings of students.
Retaining a headteacher and retaining them in post for five years, could result in an extra £16 million in lifetime earnings for those pupils, the research also found.
Replacing an ineffective headteacher (identified as being in the 16th percentile) with an effective headteacher (in the 84th percentile) increases pupil attainment by an average of two GCSE grades across all subjects.
Primary schools that switch from an ineffective to a more effective headteacher were found to gain an additional three months of learning for pupils.
Aside from improving attainment, the report also finds that effective headteachers reduce teacher turnover in both primary schools and secondary schools.
The research also found that in secondary schools, effective headteachers reduce staff absenteeism to a greater extent than less effective headteachers.
Recommendations
The report recommends that the government should prioritize enhancing the quality of school leadership, which may be a cost-effective way of improving school performance.
School governors and Ofsted should focus on supporting new headteachers, acknowledging that it may take years to realize the full improvement in results from switching headteachers.
These findings shed light on the profound influence headteachers wield over their students’ lives. Previously, such quantification of the impact of headteachers on student outcomes was lacking in England, making informed budget allocation decisions challenging for policymakers and school governors.
The Role of Experience and Tenure
Experience and tenure also emerged as critical factors affecting pupil progress. Headteachers who stayed in their schools for several years showed a more pronounced impact on student outcomes.
The effects of switching from an average to an effective head doubled, resulting in two months of additional progress.
The study also discredited the notion of a specific “match” between headteachers and their schools, suggesting that good headteachers are effective in all school settings.
Additionally, the research revealed that experienced headteachers tend to be more effective, with five more years of experience associated with an extra two months of progress in students, which translates into £10,000 of additional lifetime earnings for secondary school pupils and an extra £10 million of net present value for an average school.
The report emphasized the importance of school governors and Ofsted inspectors recognizing the years required to realize the full improvement in results when headteachers change and supporting new headteachers accordingly.
The cost of losing experienced leaders is substantial, and retaining them within the profession should be a priority.
London’s Leadership Effectiveness
The study noted that the effectiveness of headteachers showed little variation across different school characteristics, such as academies or local authority (LA) schools and between affluent and less affluent schools.
However, the research revealed that London led the way in headteacher effectiveness, with primary heads in the capital improving student progress by a month more than the national average.
Similar effects were not replicated in the north east of England, indicating a regional discrepancy.
However, former head of Smithy Bridge Foundation primary school, Chris Crook,(pictured) who led the school for nearly two decades was one of the most outstanding headteachers in the country, praised by parents and teachers for his competence and leadership skills.
He established a solid foundation for the school’s new head, Mrs Antonia Firth, who took over from Mr Crook, last month(September 2023)
The UK government has been urged to promote high-quality headteachers to work in disadvantaged schools, particularly in regions outside London to fill in the attainment gap.
Compensation of Effective Headteachers
Effective headteachers earned somewhat more than their less-effective counterparts, with an average of £61,700 at primary and £91,800 at secondary schools, compared to £59,300 and £86,400, respectively.
The small difference in salaries raises the question of whether some governors can identify good headteachers, as this pay premium seems relatively small compared to the significant benefits effective headteachers bring to schools.
The report also found that effective secondary heads received marginally better Ofsted grades, while no improvement in Ofsted grades was observed for primary schools led by more-effective headteachers.
The findings should prompt action by educational authorities, school governors, and policy-makers to ensure high-quality headteachers are placed in the schools where their impact can be most significant.
A spokesperson told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”The research was about measuring what impact headteachers have on schools
”Effectiveness was correlated with more experience and tenure
‘Different leadership of schools set up strong values and ensures organizations are representing those values
‘Its about distributing leadership, building trust, and disseminating leadership
‘ Its about keeping teachers in the classroom and better management’