Embracing change
Tanya Douglas
ASCL Council member and Headteacher of Chace Community School in London
When I was asked to write an article as one of the longest serving members on ASCL Council, two things came to mind: first, where have the years gone? And second, that ASCL has played a significant part in my life, and it has been an honour to serve ASCL as a London representative.
I have been an ASCL Council member for almost a decade, a role that I am extremely proud of. Working collaboratively as part of this organisation has given me the opportunity to take part in educational discussions and influence on a national level. It has enabled me to have foresight of the national education landscape and direction of education policy and place them in the context of my school, helping me to continue to drive school improvement. During this time, I have served on various committees, and I have represented ASCL at Annual Conference, roundtable discussions and other events.
ASCL Council in 2024 is unrecognisable compared to the Council I joined in 2014. Then, I was an assistant headteacher and was encouraged by my school’s former headteacher to join Council. She was committed to our system having representative leaders and voices in all sectors of education and believed in the old adage, “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.”
At that time, like many other organisations, ASCL Council was not as representative of the members it served. In 2014, I was one of the only Council members from a global majority background. Council meetings were mainly filled with white men, most of whom were headteachers. My former school’s headteacher was keen for this not to deter me from fully embracing the organisation and speaking up in Council meetings to have my voice heard. Well, I did just that. I threw myself into Council life, getting involved during and outside of meetings and proudly chairing the Ethics, Inclusion and Equalities Committee for several years.
Everyone’s welcome
Over the last decade, I have witnessed firsthand ASCL placing diversity and representation at the forefront of the association and its values. I feel that I belong and that I am welcome and heard as an ASCL Council member, and that my voice and contributions are valued. I am part of an organisation of like-minded people who truly care about young people. Being on Council I have a greater understanding of the different sectors in education and that ASCL is a broad church. What is most critical to see is that young people have parity in whatever type of school they go to and that they receive excellent teaching and leadership. ASCL Council is now much more diverse and includes representatives from primary, alternative provision and assistant and deputy heads.
It is hard to capture the essence of being on Council in a short article, but I have had many career enhancing and proud moments in the association. My proudest moment is hosting Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson at ASCL Annual Conference. It was humbling and inspiring to share the stage with such a remarkable athlete and campaigner for disability rights and increased participation of women in sports. In 2023, I also had the honour of sitting on the General Secretary Select Committee to appoint the new ASCL general secretary and feel honoured to have had an input in the next stage of ASCL’s journey.