Working effectively with our teachers, as we have seen in Chapter 7, is an essential element of the school librarian's role if we want to exploit our services to the maximum and to demonstrate the effect we can have on teaching and learning, wellbeing and skills for life. However, no matter how well we collaborate, we may not enjoy success unless senior leaders, governors and even inspectors endorse what we suggest and value our contributions. Again, we can face difficulties when the school librarian role is deemed to be non-teaching and yet we need to be involved in education, not merely resource provision and curation. By investing in teamwork with those responsible for the management and vision for the school we can show the full extent of our role and highlight our professionalism and specialist knowledge as key drivers of our impact on the whole school community.

Senior leadership teams

A SLT typically consists of the headteacher or principal, deputy head - teacher(s) or vice-principal(s), assistant headteacher(s) and other senior staff members, such as the school finance manager or bursar, and maybe the school network manager and marketing manager. The role and responsibilities of a SLT vary, depending on the institution, but in general the SLT is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the school, setting the strategic direction and ensuring that the school meets its educational and operational objectives. Overall, the SLT plays a crucial role in ensuring that the school provides a safe, supportive and high-quality learning environment for its students. These are important people to work with – they are the game changers, the influencers and hold the key to the budget! However, experiences of working with a SLT vary, and sometimes depend on SLT's members understanding of our role as school librarians.

Back in 1944, Linderman first pointed out: