Deep leadership – 1: A new shape for schooling?

“Deep Leadership – A new shape for schooling?” is a thought-provoking publication that explores the transformation of secondary education in England. Written by David Hargreaves, this publication aims to provide practical support to teachers and leaders at all levels of education.

The publication introduces the concept of deep leadership, which involves redesigning education so that schools can provide deep experience, deep support, and deep learning for all students. The approach is centred around personalisation and co-construction, where the school culture and structures support the continuous co-construction of education through shared leadership.

This publication does not offer a new theory of leadership but rather focuses on what leaders need to do to ensure that deep learning, deep experience, and deep support become embedded in the school. At the heart of this is the creation of a culture of co-construction, where leadership is required not only from those taking responsibility for a gateway but also from senior leaders. The deep learning gateways, for example, do not get embedded without active headteacher support: student voice and learning to learn cannot prosper unless there is a whole-school policy on them.

Although this pamphlet has mostly focused on structure, the significance of culture cannot be ignored. While structures can be established and modified with relative ease, the same cannot be said for cultures. Managing structures is essential, but leading cultures is even more crucial. If schools want to promote personalisation, they need to develop a culture of co-construction. This is a prerequisite for the kind of innovation that personalisation relies on, and it should be a central part of the agenda for deep leadership.

The publication includes case studies that demonstrate how some schools are on the road to achieving deep leadership. It provides pertinent questions to help school leaders implement the approach and offers sources and suggestions for further reading.