IOE contributes to new ethical code for schools leaders

The report, co-authored by IOE Director Professor Becky Francis, suggests that school leaders should be truthful, open and selfless.

Along with Professor Francis, other members of the commission include Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman, governors’ leader Emma Knights and Nigel Genders, director of the National Society of the Church of England.

The report came about when members of the ASCL expressed concern that there was little specifically about ethics in the discourse on education leadership despite having to face ethical dilemmas every day. 

Carolyn Roberts, chair of ASCL's Ethical Leadership Commission, has previously expressed that the code could help tackle off-rolling, a practice where pupils are removed from a school’s register, particularly to improve exam results.  

The Framework for Ethical Leadership in Education sets out the following seven principles:

• Selflessness: School and college leaders should act solely in the interest of children and young people. 
• Integrity: School and college leaders must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. Before acting and taking decisions, they must declare and resolve openly any perceived conflict of interest and relationships. 
• Objectivity: School and college leaders must act and take decisions impartially and fairly, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. Leaders should be dispassionate, exercising judgement and analysis for the good of children and young people. 
• Accountability: School and college leaders are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this. 
• Openness: School and college leaders should expect to act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from scrutiny unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing. 
• Honesty: School and college leaders should be truthful. 
• Leadership: School and college leaders should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles, and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs. Leaders include both those who are paid to lead schools and colleges and those who volunteer to govern them.

Media contact

Rowan Walker, UCL Media Relations
T: +44 (0) 20 3108 8515 / +44 (0) 7769 141006 
E: rowan.walker@ucl.ac.uk

Links

• Read the report ‘Navigating the Educational Moral Maze - The Final Report of the Ethical Leadership Commission’
• Q&A with Professor Becky Francis
• View Professor Becky Francis’ research profile
• Association of School and College Leaders