ABSTRACT
Schools leaders are often seduced by the glamour of innovation, and this can lead them into serious difficulties. There are too many examples of innovation for the sake of innovation which have proved disastrous in schools. Effective and long-lasting innovation demands sophisticated leadership skills; it requires an intensive focus on the purpose of innovation – the development of learning. Time constraints mean that the two-meeting approach of the leadership team cannot be replicated at middle management level, but it is important nevertheless to ensure that the bulk of the meeting focuses on what goes on in the classroom. A collaborative approach to teaching and learning ensures that the leadership team operates as a team. A head teacher’s ability to appoint his or her own leadership team is one of the key privileges of the role and one of the most important.
