2022 Spring Term 1

The know zone

  • The journey to a million
    With UCAS forecasting one million undergraduate applicants by 2025, Kevin Gilmartin examines what this might mean for our school and college leavers over the next few years. More
  • All change for FE?
    Dr Anne Murdoch says government proposals for funding and accountability changes in FE are welcome, but they mustn't fall short of what's required. More
  • Climate change
    Hayley Dunn highlights the key initiatives in the government's new Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy for Education. More
  • Stay out of trouble
    Jacques Szemalikowski urges members to check their pension statements and pay any taxes if they breach their annual pension allowance. More
  • Words of wisdom
    We often try to share a few wise words of wisdom with you - sometimes to help inspire you and at times, just to keep you going. Here, ASCL members share sayings, quotes, and prayers that help them get through life. More
  • May the force be with you
    Deputy Headteacher, Jo Rowley says ASCL Council offers great, nationwide networking opportunities as well as the chance to debate and reflect on the latest issues. Here, she shares her passion for Council and her encounter with Darth Vader. More
  • The gripes of wrath
    Along with death and taxes, the only other certainty in life is that you'll receive annoyingly unreasonable complaints, says Carl Smith, who has put together this guide to help you deal with them (not that he's grumbling about things, you understand). More
Bookmark and Share

Deputy Headteacher, Jo Rowley says ASCL Council offers great, nationwide networking opportunities as well as the chance to debate and reflect on the latest issues. Here, she shares her passion for Council and her encounter with Darth Vader.

May the force be with you

Tell us about your role 

I’m Deputy Headteacher at Walton High School in Stafford. We have 1,370 pupils (including a sixth form of 300 students). We’re located on the edge of Cannock Chase, a forest that has been designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. Walton is a non-selective comprehensive school that serves its local community. We have a number of famous former students, including Jonathon (‘Jony’) Ive, former chief designer at Apple Inc., and ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton. 

Why did you decide to become an ASCL Council member? 

I first joined ASCL Council in 2006 as an assistant headteacher. My headteacher at the time, Sue Kirkham, was ASCL president and she encouraged me to stand for election. I must admit that, at the time, I had no real idea what Council was, but I quickly learned that it was the white-hot core of ASCL policymaking. 

Everything you see and read from ASCL will have been influenced by Council members and, likewise, everything that ASCL says to the Secretary of State or the DfE will be strongly influenced by Council members’ feedback. 

I recently re-joined Council and have sat on both the Leadership and Governance Committee and the Teaching and Learning Committee. Council offers great nationwide networking opportunities as well as the opportunity to debate and reflect on the latest proposals from various bodies such as the DfE, Ofsted and Ofqual. 

As a member of Council, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with the DfE to discuss proposed changes to initial teacher training (ITT). We’ve also debated the content of Ofqual’s proposals to the contingency arrangements for the summer 2022 exams, and we’ve been able to feed back on the impact of the Covid vaccination arrangements for pupils. 

One of the absolute highlights of being a Council member was the opportunity to attend a meeting with the Secretary of State while at ASCL Annual Conference. I’ve been lucky enough to meet several Secretary of States this way to discuss important issues. 

Why did you decide to get into teaching/leadership? 

I’d always wanted to be a teacher; I really enjoy sharing knowledge and seeing ‘light bulb’ moments from my pupils. Being in the classroom is still my favourite part of the job. In terms of leadership, it was something that I fell into; I always fancied the challenge of a new role and moved through middle leadership and senior leadership, taking on roles that interested me. None of this was ever planned; I do what I do because I enjoy it. 

How do you like to unwind? 

My main hobby is walking, and I like nothing better than to spend a day walking in the Lake District. 

Tell us an interesting fact about you 

As a primary school student, I met David Prowse, who at the time was the Green Cross Code Man. A group of us got to star with him in a local PSHE film about road safety. Shortly after meeting him, David went on to star as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. 

What’s your favourite book and your favourite film of all time? 

I don’t really have a favourite book, but I did find Charlie Macksey’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse truly inspiring during the first lockdown and I would recommend that to anyone who hasn’t read it. I don’t watch films, but I do love programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Gogglebox – I enjoy anything that doesn’t require much thought but makes me happy. 

What advice would you give to someone new to leadership? 

Get a large thermal mug that holds enough coffee to last most of the day. 

ASCL Council 

For more details on how you can become a Council member, please email ASCL Director of Policy Julie McCulloch at Julie.mcculloch@ascl.org.uk

We are particularly keen to encourage people from currently under-represented groups including women and people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, to put themselves forward. 

Rowley, Jo.jpg

LEADING READING