By Graham Brown

ANGUS IS considering taking tentative steps towards an expansion of the shared headship model in the county’s rural schools.

The arrangement exists in a very small number of district primaries and education officials say clear benefits for both staff and pupils have emerged from those experiences.

However, in a report to education committee councillors today, director Jim Anderson acknowledges the wide-ranging challenges of implementing such set-ups and local fears have already been raised that the idea may be seen as the “thin end of the wedge.”

In his report, Mr Anderson explains that the shared headship arrangement currently exists in Barry/Panbride; Glenisla/Kilry/ Lintrathen (due to be merged into a single school); Lethnot/Tarfside and Stracathro/Edzell.

“Although the initial impetus for the concept of shared headship may have been partly related to concerns about recruitment and retention of staff, over the years it has become clear that there are significant educational benefits, both in terms up pupil development and staff morale,” he states.

The shared headship arrangement means that the head teacher does not have his/her own class.

That, claims the report, means energies can legitimately be devoted to whole-school quality improvement issues.

“From the point of view of the head teacher, the job of a shared headship is seen to be do-able whereas the job of a ‘teaching’ head teacher in a small school has become less and less do-able,” adds Mr Anderson.

“Pupils benefit because they have their own teacher in the same way as all the other pupils do, and they do not have to share their teacher with the urgent demands of the telephone, parents, other issues within the school, etc.

Turning to the hurdles to be overcome, Mr Anderson continues, “There is the obvious practical challenge for the shared head to be an effective leader and manager of the two separate establishments.

“In practical terms, the time spent travelling between the two schools is lost time, although experience suggests that those who take on these shared roles do not find it particularly difficult to establish a modus operandi to minimise disruptions due to travel.

“Establishing a shared headship in the first instance can be difficult.

“Up until now in Angus, we have not had a forward plan to guide us when specific situations arise: that in turn has meant that we have had to make appointments on a pragmatic basis and in this meant that some parental communities, and in particular some parent councils, have felt disenfranchised in terms of their legitimate role in selecting a new head teacher.”

The director continues, “The suggested shared headship model does not deliver any financial savings, but is marginally more costly to operate than the traditional model of a single head teacher for each school.

“It is proposed that a shared headship should only be established if at least one of the schools involved would otherwise have a teaching head teacher i.e. a headteacher who is the main teacher of a class.

“Because of the staffing standard adopted by the council this is likely to be a very small number—in 2008/09 only Arbirlot, Carmyllie, Cortachy, Eassie, Newbigging and Strathmartine would be eligible.”

Councillors are to be asked to give the go-ahead for an informal consultation on the idea, and the importance of getting communities “onside” has already been emphasised locally.

Eassie Parent Council leader Gavin Durston said, “We will approach this with an open mind, but given the fact that Angus Council tried to shut our school twice in three years, we do have some concerns.

“The whole consultation needs to be carried out properly with all the available information and necessary safeguards in place.

“We wouldn’t like to think that this might be the thin end of the wedge,” said Mr Durston.