The 5 most common reasons to *not* apply for Yorks100
and why we think you should do it anyway.
Since applications opened in January, I have spoken to a LOT of people about the Yorks100 programme and here are the most common barriers to applying.
Non-reason #1: ‘I’m not a deputy head teacher (yet)’
This is not a deal-breaker for us. We know that different schools and trusts have different leadership structures. If it is feasible for you to think that you could apply for headship, in Yorkshire, in a traditionally underserved community, within the next 5 years, we want to hear from you. We currently work with classroom teachers, middle leaders, assistant principals as well as a few serving headteachers. It’s a mixed bag. We’re interested in building a cohort that can learn from each others’ experiences. You can read more about this here.
Non-reason #2: ‘I’ve already done/am doing an NPQH’
We have been told that this programme complements (rather than competes with) the NPQH. Our aim is to take a regionally focused, internationally informed approach to tackling disadvantage in Yorkshire. Our hypothesis is that if we develop school leaders in a way that is co-created with local experts, centres an asset-based community approach and embeds relational practices, we will create a powerful network who, in turn, will ensure all children in Yorkshire can enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. As mentioned above, we’re fairly obsessed with cohort-building. We think the sense of belonging you get with fellow Yorks100 participants is vital, so we build in significant time for this. This programme is not (yet) accredited, there are no assessments and we don’t claim to cover everything in an NPQH (or everything you need to be a headteacher!). But the connections you will make and experiences you will share will have a profound impact on you, your current and future practice and crucially, on the communities you serve. Want more? Head here.
Non-reason #3: ‘I don’t have time/I work part-time’
There are no two ways about it; this course requires a time investment. And given that we can’t provide you with more hours in the day and that it’s unlikely you have abundant free time, it follows that something will have to not happen in order for you to do this programme. Twas ever thus (even if we pretend really hard that twasn’t). However, that being said, it *is* possible to make a choice and prioritise your own development. The irony of recommending books to busy people is not lost on us, but we have been informed by both Essentialism and Four Thousand Weeks.
We go out of our way to ensure that those working flexibly are still able to enjoy and flourish on Yorks100. Here’s some feedback from Cohort 1 participant Hannah Pinkham;
I started the Yorks100 programme while still on my second maternity leave. This worked well as I used nap times to do a lot of the initial reading and work. Since returning to work part-time I have found the Yorks100 course works really well with my timetable as I have clear out of school headspace in which to digest and think about the information we're receiving and the schools we've visited.
There are as many legitimate reasons to focus on something else as there are folks who utter them. It is perfectly possible that now isn’t the right time for you to apply - we’ll be here for the next three years and so you may choose to do it at a future point. But we do invite you to interrogate whether your own development is something you regularly put on the backburner. Perhaps, as the inimitable Moloko advises, the time is now.
Non-reason #4: ‘I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to be a headteacher’
Firstly, just a quick word on ‘imposter syndrome’ here. Let’s rebrand ‘totally reasonable anxiety around doing a job that is a step up (or several) in terms of responsibility’; it is not a syndrome and you’re not weird for worrying about whether you ‘have what it takes’. If you haven’t listened to Reshma Saujani speak on ‘bicycle face’, take a peek here.
If you have significant experience working impactfully in schools, you demonstrate a deep moral commitment to working for the betterment of traditionally underserved communities and crucially, you enjoy the above, then it is totally reasonable (some may say necessary) for you to consider headship. We are at a crisis point in terms of recruitment in our county (and nationally). We need good people to step up. If not you, who? If not now, when?
Testimonials from colleagues in the South West here… and we particularly well up when Lucy speaks 14 mins and 27 seconds in.
Non-reason #5: ‘My school can’t afford that!’
It is possible that your school is in dire financial straits and it is wildly optimistic for you to be asking for 13 days out and a few thousand from the CPD budget. We deeply sympathise with schools in this position and ask you to get in touch anyway so we can find a way that makes this programme possible for you.
However, many trust leaders regularly tell us that this programme is pretty remarkable in terms of value for money (the fee covers your accommodation, food, transport, resources etc) and as a percentage of the entire CPD budget for a year, it is relatively low. When I began teaching over a decade ago, I was sent on several exam board training days for around the £350 per day mark (10-3 if I remember correctly) which were indeed useful. If we crudely imagine the total number of days (including webinars and asynchronous learning) gets us to a conservative 15 full days, secondary colleagues get that for £233 per day and primary for £100 per day. ‘What about the cover costs incurred?’ I hear you say! Quite right. But equally, what about the cost of inaction? Are you a member of staff who is itching for the next thing, who may otherwise consider looking elsewhere (even outside of the profession)? Do you have a stable staff team who are perhaps in need of some fresh ideas and perspectives? Are the outcomes for your children, especially those facing disadvantage, stubbornly static? The feedback we have had from the programme has been overwhelmingly positive and we are only just getting started.
Here is a form to register your interest and sign up to one of our upcoming information events. You can also watch the recording below of the launch event or book in a call with me (Verity) here. You can also email y100@reachfoundation.org.uk with any other questions you may have.