As a deputy headteacher in a special school we’ve just endured (I spent a while searching for th eright word here) an Ofsted inspection under the old framework. That high-stakes, machine can make or break a teacher’s passion for the job or even career overnight. Lots of prep, a consultant, simulated deep dives, policy rewrites, … Read more
The Headteacher’s Guide to Strategic Visibility: Transform Your School Through Purposeful Presence You know what? The best headteachers aren’t the ones hiding behind a stack of paperwork. They are the ones out in the corridor. They are the ones freezing at the school gate. Leadership isn’t about clearing your inbox. It’s about being seen. If … Read more
Sarah stepped through the doors of Millfield Primary at 6:30 AM, two hours before the first students would arrive for the new autumn term. As she walked through the empty corridors, adjusting a crooked welcome poster and mentally rehearsing her morning greeting, she reflected on her first day as a headteacher three years earlier. Back … Read more
The Zen of the Staff Room: How “Chit” Can Teach School Leaders to Be Gloriously Unbothered In the bustling, glitter-strewn, and occasionally chaotic world of school leadership, there’s a certain TikTok character who holds a secret superpower we could all learn from: “Chit” from Jay Renshaw’s viral sketches. You know “Chit”—the office legend who remains … Read more
Knowledge Sharing in Schools Using Evolvable Scripts As school leaders in the UK, we face numerous challenges in improving our schools, developing our staff, and managing workloads. This guide introduces the concept of ‘evolvable scripts’ and explores how it can be applied in UK schools to enhance teaching and learning, support staff development, and streamline … Read more
CPD for Headteachers: The Lifelong Journey of Leadership Imagine a seasoned captain navigating their ship through uncharted waters. Without continuous learning and adaptation, even the most experienced captain would be adrift, vulnerable to the ever-changing tides and currents. Similarly, headteachers, the captains of our educational institutions, must commit to a journey of lifelong professional development. … Read more
Leadership Skills for Headteachers As we inch closer to 2025, the landscape of school leadership continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for headteachers. The role of a headteacher has never been static, and with the ever-changing dynamics of the educational environment, headteachers must adapt and hone specific leadership skills. Here, we’ll explore the … Read more
Recognising Dysfunctional Values in Schools While values-based leadership (VBL) can transform schools and create positive, supportive environments, it’s crucial to understand that not all values contribute positively to a school’s culture or success. Some values can lead to dysfunction, creating challenges and hindering the achievement of educational goals. Here are examples values that may lead … Read more
How Can Headteachers Create a Psychologically Safe Culture? Creating a psychologically safe culture and school environment is crucial for many elements of school improvement. Psychological safety, a term popularised by Amy Edmondson, refers to a climate in which individuals feel safe to express relevant thoughts and feelings without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, … Read more
Guest Post: 10 Tips to Embed The Listening to Learn Leadership Trait As an educational leadership coach, one of the most important skills I encourage leaders to develop is active listening. I read the previous Inclusiveteach post on how “Listening to Learn” was a desired trait for school leaders and wanted to share my top … Read more
How to Lead Like a Marine: Run Towards Challenge, Assemble Your Fireteam, and Win Your Next Battle in Education This continues our series on how school leaders can apply lessons from popular leadership books. Here is a guide to how school leaders can apply lessons from Lead Like a Marine: Run Towards a Challenge, Assemble Your Fireteam, and … Read more
How School Leaders Can Implement Lessons from Thinking, Fast and Slow By Daniel Kahneman In his bestselling book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman offers a framework for understanding how our mind works and how we can use it more effectively. As a school leader, you are constantly faced with decisions that affect … Read more
School Policies and Systemic Change Systems change slowly, and embedded beliefs, policy and values are slower still to change. No one working in the education system will deny that post-pandemic the system is failing. Failing systems need leaders who are innovative, brave, confident and experienced leaders to drive change within their organisations and influence change … Read more
Table of Contents Applying “The Key To Successful Leadership” Quote to Schools The quote “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” is attributed to Kenneth H. Blanchard, an American author and management expert who has written many books on leadership, teamwork, and organisational development. He is best known for co-authoring The One … Read more
Building Your Middle Leadership Team In the complex ecosystem of a school, leadership is not confined to the top. Middle leaders (department heads, assistant headteachers, etc.) play a pivotal role in driving school performance and improving teaching and learning. In many ways, middle leaders are the bridge between senior management and teaching staff, translating strategic … Read more
The Importance of a Pre-Interview School Visit As a prospective headteacher, you are likely aware of the critical role that school visits play in the selection process. A pre-interview visit to a school is not merely a formality; it’s an invaluable opportunity to glean insights about the school’s ethos, culture, operations, challenges and strategic focus. … Read more
How To Lead A Leadership Team By Asking The Right Questions As we delve into the world of leadership, one of the most potent tools we have at our disposal is questioning. This skill, much like others such as active listening, time management, or collaboration, requires practice and application for proficiency. It’s no secret that … Read more
Applying Leadership Lessons to School Leadership On my leadership journey, I have read various leadership books and the insights they provide for aspiring or existing school leaders. Leadership is a critical aspect of any school. School leaders play a vital role, and have accountability for ensuring that their schools are successful in achieving their goals. … Read more
Improving Inclusion Through School Leadership This post builds on the input of 30 school leaders during an SLTChat educational discussion. It also references two papers (see references section) Inclusive education has become a global priority, with countries worldwide seeking to provide quality education for all students regardless of ability, disability, language, culture, gender, or background. … Read more
School Leadership Journey What Does NPQML Mean? – NPQML Means National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership. It is a DfE recognised qualification for school leaders. This post on becoming a middle leader is a reflection for my NPQML. Specifically a School improvement unit. In it I have tried to be honest about the struggles I … Read more
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