Wellbeing at Christmas: Time to focus on you This Christmas holiday may be the first time that many teachers and school leaders have chance to take a breath and step back from the chaos and stress of Covid-19. Sophie Howells says that now is the time to prioritise your wellbeing – and offers some ideas
How to collect staff feedback on workload and wellbeing As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, it is important to check in on your staff to see how remote learning and Covid restrictions are affecting their workload and wellbeing. Katherine Fowler shares some practical tips on how to talk to your staff and gather feedback, so that you can help ...
The revised Headteachers' Standards: An overview The Headteachers’ Standards have recently been updated. National Leader of Education Helen Frostick reflects on the revisions and how the standards apply to leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic
What school leaders can learn from Stoic philosophy From being values-driven and promoting mental fortitude to embracing uncertainty and being patient, primary headteacher Jim Mepham puts forward his case for how Stoic philosophy can transform the leadership of your school
Covid-19: Why we need ethical leadership more than ever – and what it looks like We are teaching in uncertain times and Covid-19 is not going away anytime soon. Ethical leadership and kindness are among the traits that former school leader Matt Bromley says must be at the heart of our leadership response this academic year
School improvement: The patchwork quilt approach? Best practice cannot become a patchwork quilt – stitched together from ideas, approaches and interventions seen elsewhere. We must always remember that context matters above all else, says Jonathan Cordiner
Eight leadership habits and how to encourage them The Ted Wragg Trust prioritises leadership development across its schools. Senior leader Caroline Sherwood describes the MAT’s eight leadership habits and how these can be encouraged
Remote learning: How to handle objections from parents Whether you have individual pupils self-isolating, or groups of pupils learning from home, you may come across objections from parents about the remote learning you are providing. Ciara Lamb looks at some potential concerns and how we might respond
Complaints & investigations: Why they arise and what to do Every school leader will have to handle complaints and oversee subsequent investigations. Expert Dave Verma offers some advice on handling the initial complaint and conducting a professional investigation...
Covid-19: Managing and supporting your school's staff With increased staff absence due to Covid-19, increased anxiety among our colleagues, and an ever-changing landscape, supporting and managing our teaching colleagues is a priority for school leaders this year. Employment law expert Jane Hallas offers some tips
Assemblies during Covid: Breaking with tradition Should the ‘build back better’ ethos that many schools have adopted during the Covid pandemic see a new approach to assembly time? Headteacher Emma Gray offers some practical reflections
Leadership in the time of Covid: Six lessons for headteachers A mixture of optimism and realism can help school leaders navigate their schools through a potentially challenging year ahead. Multi-academy trust CEO Nick Cross talks to Yvonne Gandy about his six key leadership lessons for the coming months
Back to School Guide: Staff wellbeing and support In this 12-page guide, we consider how lockdown has affected the wellbeing and mental health of school staff and offer practical advice and ideas for promoting wellbeing and supporting colleagues, both now and this autumn
Four coaching conversations for school leaders Coaching can have a positive influence on staff wellbeing, morale and performance in schools. Denise Barrows outlines four particularly powerful coaching conversations that leaders can use to achieve this sort of transformative impact
June 1 re-opening: The concerns and considerations of a headteacher Like headteachers across the country, Rachel Jones is working with her team to plan for a possible June 1 re-opening. She talks us through her thinking, how she plans to set-up her school, and the pressure that comes with such a significant responsibility
A judgement call like no other The science on school re-opening is reassuring, but it is not immutable. In the end, it is a judgement call and schools must be given the flexibility to do what is in the best interests of their communities, says Geoff Barton
Taking on an acting headship in a time of crisis As if becoming an acting headteacher is not enough of a challenge – what is it like when there is a global health pandemic? Suzanne O'Connell speaks to one newly acting headteacher about her experiences and her advice to others who find themselves in an acting role
The virtual staffroom: Morale and engagement during lockdown During lockdown, we must not neglect staff morale and wellbeing. Denise Barrows looks at how school leaders can deepen trust and connections with and between staff. She considers our one-to-one interactions and how to build a virtual staffroom environment
Protecting teacher wellbeing during lockdown While we are doing all we can to support the wellbeing of our young people during the school closures, we must not forget our teachers. From financial grants to mental health support, Sophie Howells advises
Crisis management for school leaders Schools and school leaders will sometimes have to deal with a crisis or emergency situation. Richard Bettsworth offers practical crisis-management advice
Managing remote recruitment during the coronavirus closures The prospect of running a recruitment round during lockdown might feel daunting. Xavier Roeseler outlines how you can adapt your current recruitment process while schools are closed, to ensure you can still find the right candidates for your school
How to conduct difficult conversations All this year, National Leader of Education Helen Frostick is offering term-by-term advice for new headteachers to help them prioritise their work and reflect on areas for improvement and focus. This time, she focuses on one of the most challenging areas for new leaders – difficult conversations
Coaching: A solution to leadership burn-out? New research shows that coaching may be an effective solution to potential burn-out among school professionals, including leaders. Viv Grant and Professor Rachel Lofthouse outline their findings
Coronavirus: Key messages from latest DfE guidance for schools Government guidance published on Sunday (March 22) outlines how schools are expected to operate during the coronavirus pandemic. Former school leader Matt Bromley takes a look and offers his advice
Lesson streaming and reduced marking – a coronavirus response The streaming of lessons for key stage 2 and a much-reduced approach to marking have been two elements of the Warrington Primary Academy Trust’s approaches to supporting home education. CEO Louise Smith explains 1 comment
