“Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.” This quote often sobers me and reminds me of my role as a middle manager. This is my second year as a subject lead but first as head of department and in short space of time I have learnt a lot. However, the most poignant lesson I have learnt whilst HoD (History and Politics) is that it is lonely in the middle and there are a 101 hurdles to jump. In this blog I will lay out my experiences so far and in cathartic manner exhale the stresses of the academic year I am about to say goodbye to.

I am only in my third year of teaching so becoming head of department was a daunting task but one I’ve always wanted. I am a very ambitious teacher, I know what I want and some would compare me to a steam train that stops for nothing. However, this comes with its perils, one of which is a lack of a solid role model. In my first year, my HoD was organised, had a clear vision and helped rebuild a department in flux, however, she was a first time HoD too. She soon left for bigger and better things. Following this, in my second year, my HoD was a teacher of 5 years in the school (and the profession), and epitomised what it meant to be a teacher in my school and what is more, epitomised what outstanding History teaching looked like. As a HoD, he had excellent soft skills, was incredibly supportive of all his staff and would go above and beyond. However, again, he was a first year HoD and soon departed for a sabbatical and has decided not to return. Whilst I am immeasurably thankful to both of them – the former teaching me the value of organisation and how to build a solid curriculum and the latter teaching me key soft skills and involving me in all decision making as the Head of Politics which has served me well this year – ultimately, I do not have a solid role to model to look after 5/6 years of teaching like most. I contact the latter former HoD regularly, I try to take as many gems from other HoDs in my school, I regularly attend conferences, I scroll Twitter most days and engage teachers in meaningful dialogue wherever possible, all in a desperate search for nuggets of wisdom as I seek to build my identity and mantra as a middle leader. Moreover, I search for these nuggets due to the fact I am committed the challenge of providing stability, having a clear vision and providing a curriculum that is knowledge rich and provides every student an opportunity to learn history on an equal footing regardless of background.

However, what I’ve had to carefully reflect on is the big the decisions I am expected to make. On my first day of the job, at 5.30pm on a Friday evening, I had to rewrite the department’s timetable in order to be able to send two members of my department out to other schools in our trust to support with teaching. Being the lead school in a trust comes with the responsibility of supporting other schools and I am never one to scorn someone who asks for help and even offered to go across myself part time. However, what was difficult was managing the tough conversations that came with such a big change. Not only did I have to potentially upset two members of staff about working part time somewhere else, I also had to put more work on other teachers in my department, and what is more, another teacher was also subsequently sent to another school in January. Managing the perils of change for both the students and staff is difficult and clearly, never easy.

Furthermore, after years of instability – this summer will the first time in four years that somebody has lasted more than one year as HoD and will be the first summer in four years that no one has left – there are holes in our curriculum. We have recently undergone an age range change from 14-19 to 11-19, coupled with an underperforming A-Level course, there are problems which needed time and consideration. Me being me, I bulldozed into reforming the A-Level which was met with resistance. So when I planned to the radically reform our developing KS3 curriculum, I took a more measured approach which has paid dividends. We are enhancing and reforming our KS3 backed by a vision which is both knowledge rich and enjoyable for students and staff. What is more, we have changed the A-Level and this was also met with support and buy in from the department. These lessons have been valuable for a steam train like myself. My rank does not confer power, I have learnt I must take people along the journey with me. Innovation takes time, careful planning and buy in. This a valuable lesson for any first time middle leader.

What is more, finding time to be an all seeing eye over the department and all students whilst juggling my own teaching, non-judgemental lesson drop ins, management directives, planning/marking and supporting teachers both proves to always be the biggest challenge of middle management. I get to work at 7am and leave most days around 6pm, whilst also doing work most evenings. Juggling/managing six members of staff in a school of 2500 approx is a difficult task to say the least. I would like to think I am supportive HoD… I will give up frees at the last minute to cover, I ensure students get quality first teaching and the best possible deal even if that means going a whole week without a free period, I have and always take the bulk of the planning to save staff time, I mark mock exams for year groups I do not teach, I am there to listen even when I am snowed under and I am always seeking to develop and empower staff with responsibility and training. Yet, I get this strange sense of dread on a weekly basis that I am never doing enough.

Coming back to my original thesis, it can be lonely in the middle.

This blog is part two of my catharsis as I was recently at conference about embedding a knowledge rich curriculum with a close friend who is also a HoD for History and it was nice to talk/rant about middle management but to actually debate history, talk curriculum and our experience of teaching history (and argue that those espouse the virtues of a knowledge rich curriculum for all and the idea of empowering those most disadvantaged probably have little clue about what other barriers are there are due to a lack of personal experience with poverty which both have experienced in the extreme – an almost champagne socialism but being distributed by the right… It is a strange world in which we currently live). It was a great day and I am a keen advocate of a knowledge rich curriculum but moreover, it was a rare moment of being able to relate to someone like me because as empowering as Twitter is, it lacks something that I can never quite put my finger on.

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