Reluctant and Incomplete School Leaders As I complete my NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship) I have been reflecting on myself as a leader and the things I am trying to develop. Through the process of reflection, I came across a few theories that I think are linked, and possibly affect a lot of leaders … Read more
Writing a School Leadership Application that will get you an Interview Completing a school leadership personal statement and application form can be a daunting task. With time invested in preparation and attention to detail, you can increase your chances of being selected for the role. I recommend signing up to the Key for School Leaders … Read more
Leading a Team: Seeing Yourself as a Leader This post is based on “Leading a Team” training I delivered to colleagues in Kent special schools. It is aimed at ECTs, Teachers, and HLTAs. Anyone stepping up to lead a class in a special school becomes a leader of a team. This is usually of a … Read more
How to Have Difficult Conversations in Schools Leading difficult conversations is not about power or forcing people to do as they are told. It is about accountability, gaining buy-in and building trust. When holding conversations around practice, or conflict there will be specific elements of people management but that is not leadership. As a leader … Read more
Imposter Syndrome for Teachers and School Leaders Imposter syndrome is a really common issue for teachers and school leaders in education. I started this website as a reflective blog whilst completing the NPQML leadership course, since then it has evolved into a special education teaching resources and ideas website. Over the last 5 years, over … Read more
I want to share my project. Examples online are few and far between. I have had to redact some parts and evidence for obvious reasons and being an SEN provision my focus is unlikely to be the same but I hope the content and style should give you some pointers. All I ask is that you take the time to share Inclusiveteach.com with your colleagues.
Evaluating Your Education Leadership Success I have based this post on a task for my NPQSL – You can see my final submission here. This terminology comes from a study of a commercial company by Binney, Wilke & Williams in 2005. Given the commercialisation of some aspects of the education system it may be more … Read more
Top Tips For Completing Your NPQML in 2023 This article was originally written after I completed my project. I have now coached 5 people through the ML and NPQSL courses. The NPQML course is intended for those in middle leadership roles to develop areas of their practice Known as competencies. This was not an easy … Read more
6 Essential Practical Elements of Effective CPD Training is big business. The reason for this is because Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is such a wide term. A school’s training budget can cover a multitude of areas, non teaching and learning areas such as: health and safety, food hygiene, seagull avoidance, first aid, fire awareness, the … Read more
Positivity in the staffroom Negativity in schools in commonplace. I think it is incredibly important to be positive about the work you do. If you work with children then it is vital. However the school ecosystem is a complex organism, easily affected by external inputs. As staff we have worries and dilemmas that play on … Read more
This handy little guide aims to equip you to deal with any challenging situation. But can we apply it to the challenges of school leadership?
Building Trust and School Leadership Clearly leading through trust is a hugely important element in the atmosphere of a school ecosystem. Given the level of vulnerability of our students the organic trust (Bryk and Schneider (2002)) within the school community is of paramount importance. However it should never be unquestioning. This would lead to complacency … Read more
How to Run Effective Meetings as a School Leader Meetings are a fundamental aspect of effective school communication and collaboration within and between teams. Not all meetings are created equal, and poorly run meetings can be counterproductive and waste valuable time. To ensure your meetings are productive and impactful, let’s explore some insights from leadership … Read more
Leadership or Management in Schools As part of my NPQML, we had to complete the age-old difference between leadership vs management tasks. These are my thoughts. The leaders project video we watched is no longer on Youtube so I have included this Ted Talk by Seth Godin where he explains the differences between leadership and … Read more
Leadership and Developing Teams This article on leadership and developing teams was written for my NPQML: Project example here. Since then I have completed both the NPQSL and NPQH. Developing teams and teaching staff in my school is my remit. I have reflected on the importance of training leaders at all levels to lead a … Read more
Conversations and Middle Leadership in Schools This post was written when I was Key Stage 4 Lead, I am currently Deputy Principal so have updated it with some further thoughts. The conversations we take part in as leaders take a number of forms, informal chats in corridors, and question-and-answer sessions where you or a colleague … Read more
I think we have something in common. I work with children and young people who have special needs because I can make a difference and enrich the experiences the children under my care take part in. In times of uncertainty and change in a school there are certain principles that you cannot afford to lose … Read more
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