Implementing Development Matters: Six things to do now The revised Development Matters non-statutory guidance has been produced to support schools in delivering the EYFS reforms from September 2021. Stephen Kilgour identifies six things we can do now to prepare…
No Silver Bullets: Day-in, day-out school improvement School improvement is not about silver bullets. Rather it is about making small incremental gains day-in, day-out. A new book is offering 89 such gains to help focus the mind. Author Paul K Ainsworth dissects four of them here…
CPD: Creating the right conditions for professional learning Is your school leadership creating the right conditions for professional learning? Maria Cunningham looks at the links between your staff’s working conditions and their development, expertise and efficacy
Assurance: It’s not sexy, but it’s important From boilers to putrefied rat remains, from magic buckets to burglar alarms – assurance is not well understood in education and the consequences can be catastrophic. MAT chief executive Mark Wilson explains
Building back better: Teaching, pedagogy and learning Some schools have already begun changing and adapting their in-school teaching practices in light of their experiences during remote education. Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith asks how your school is already 'building back better'
PFI: Challenging overly expensive contracts As an academy trust CEO, Andrew Chubb successfully challenged aspects of his school’s PFI contract, leading to substantial savings. He looks here at why PFI often proves unfairly expensive for schools – and what can be done about it
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
