New GTC Chief Executive Keith Bartley shares his vision for the future.
Keith Bartley took over at the helm of the GTC in March. In an in-depth interview, he sets out his vision for the organisation’s future – and shares his passion for the profession.
The vital importance of teaching is a cornerstone of Keith Bartley’s beliefs – but it wasn’t always so.
Studying at the University of Liverpool for his PGCE in the mid-70s, Keith was sent to a challenging school that was later to close in the aftermath of the Toxteth riots. 'Back then, I was ambivalent about whether I wanted to teach,' he admits. 'Some of the attraction was in the content, in that I was doing physical and outdoor education. But, after four days in the school in Liverpool, I thought, "actually this is a really important job".'
Describing it as a pivotal moment, he says: 'That very first teaching practice sold me on teaching – and I’ve never wavered from that. It’s about understanding the importance of what we can do for young people; the changes you can make to their lives.'
Involved in education throughout his career, Keith spent his first 13 years teaching in two schools – first in Kent, then as a deputy head teacher in Norwich. In 1990, his burgeoning interest in teaching development led him out of the classroom and into a post as a general education inspector, with responsibility for in-service training.
'It was a crossroads,' says Keith. 'I missed teaching massively – still do – but I’m fortunate in that my roles have enabled me to return to schools regularly.My feeling is that if I lose touch with the front end of what our work is about, then I can’t be as good at directing policy and strategy.'
Former posts include Rutland County’s Director of Education, then Assistant Divisional Manager for Ofsted and, most recently, Director for Children, Young People and Families at Oxfordshire County Council. Here, he led the Council’s social inclusion work, an issue that remains close to his heart.“I have a profound belief that, as a society, we don’t do enough to secure an equality of opportunity for many marginalised or potentially marginalised groups of people,' says Keith, who has six children, the youngest of whom is 19. 'Throughout my career, I’ve spent a lot of time with disaffected and challenging children – I like them. But too often, these vulnerable young people leave the school system with levels of disadvantage that many will be unable to overcome as adults.'
Pinnacle of career
In Oxfordshire, a distinguishing feature of Keith’s work was his championing of the Every Child Matters agenda. It’s a responsibility that he’s enthusiastically looking forward to pursuing as newly appointed GTC Chief Executive. Seeing his new position as the pinnacle of his career, Keith says: 'The chance to contribute to improving teaching and learning across the country was a professional opportunity that I couldn’t let pass by.'
However, he’s the first to admit that leading the GTC’s future development will be challenging, not least because of its history. Set up in 2000, many teachers were initially hostile to the GTC’s inception. Have perceptions changed? 'Yes, they’ve shifted considerably, but they can change more,” says the organisation’s new Chief Executive.
Since its establishment, the GTC has put in place highly sophisticated systems to support its registration and regulatory functions. 'Organisationally we are robust,' continues Keith. 'And during this time, we’ve made increasingly influential contributions to policy development, based on research and evidence, and to teacher support and development.
