Leading system redesign – 2: The changing profession

The first decade of this century has witnessed the beginning of the end for the autonomous school. Initiatives such as Every Child Matters and the 21st-century outward facing school are driving an unprecedented level of collaboration. Headteachers have demonstrated remarkable creativity in transforming the school workforce and redesigning their schools, often extending support to the development of other schools. They have successfully operated within a strong accountability framework, ensuring the success of current students while planning and innovating for future generations. A key aspect of their work has been identifying and nurturing the next generation of diverse school leaders.

Through our work with schools, SSAT has concluded that tinkering with 20th-century systems and processes is insufficient for personalising learning in the 21st century. A radical system redesign is necessary to meet the challenges of contemporary schooling. In the first publication in this series – Leading system redesign – we identified 20 basic building blocks of schooling that need to be questioned and reconfigured to align with the demands of 21st-century education. “Leading system redesign – The changing profession” by Sue Williamson focuses on five reconfigurations of leadership.

Case studies presented demonstrate how headteachers are reshaping their schools for the 21st century and leveraging wider collaboration opportunities. They showcase the impact of transitioning from single to multiple institutions on school leadership and the expanded opportunities available to headteachers in leading system redesign. The teaching profession itself is evolving, driven by the emergence of Generation Y and workforce reform. There is now a growing confidence among teachers to share practices, develop the science of learning, and refine the art of teaching. Maximising the impact of these changes necessitates the review and, in many cases, radical alteration of existing practices and structures.

Although the schools in the case studies have different contexts, they have fostered a culture of personalisation through co-construction, innovation, and distributed leadership.