Blog

What comes to mind when we think of an exceptional leader, or an exceptional school? There are many ways in which a leader or a school might be exceptional, but a characteristic they often share is that they do not consider themselves to be anything special.

I have begun tracking Ofsted reports: ‘What does the school need to do to improve?’ I’ve identified 3,858 specific areas from inspections since January 2024.

To coincide with the launch of our new behaviour audit tool and support programme, Jackie Rose, Senior Education Lead, describes two ‘reminders’ about behaviour practice that educators should know and utilise in current practice.

“We would like you to act up until we can recruit a permanent headteacher.” My CEO sat in the still warm seat of the previous headteacher and looked at me across the desk. I agreed, reluctantly, as I knew the enormity of the task ahead, but also knew as I spoke that my two conditions, finding a permanent solution, and giving me more financial support, were unlikely to both be met.

We are delighted to offer a new programme for serving and experienced headteachers, SSAT’s Rethinking Headship. In preparation for this programme, we have summarised and synthesised recent research focused on headteacher retention. Our aim, in this phase of our work is to stimulate discussion about how individual headteachers rethink their approach to headship. At the same time, we want to draw on your insights gained through the wisdom of your experience to provoke a rethinking of headship at a systemic level.

Laura Burton, Senior Education Lead at SSAT and Head of the Primary network, reflects upon the important, yet unique role of the Subject Leader in a Primary School and considers the value of professional development to maximise the effectiveness and confidence of our teachers who undertake this role.

This week I am sharing what I have been doing with the ‘Thoughts and Crosses’ strategy in my Year 9 English lessons.

So, here we are: deep in Workshop 4 and trialling ways to make the EFA programme not just a programme but an adaptable programme that empowers staff and pushes people to move out of their comfort zones – not an easy task, I must say.

As school leaders you know that attention from the media and politicians about the ‘attendance crisis’ is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is good to know that you are not alone in meeting these challenges. On the other hand, such attention on school issues often generates more heat than light.

How should schools respond when faced with extreme views from pupils and parents? When views are expressed which go against the values of the school and make other members of the community feel unsafe, what should be done? This week, a group of school leaders met at Thomas Estley Community School to share experiences and ideas, in an event hosted by our partner organisation Life Lessons.