Blog posts by: Alex Galvin

Last week a large group of school leaders came together for this year’s Leading Edge conference. This year, we returned to a familiar theme, that of understanding what supports high performance.

In the village where we live, the primary school sits at the top of a hill. Alongside the main footpath runs an unofficial walkway, worn by small feet over many years. It marks out a more adventurous route along the top of a muddy bank, passing through bushes and behind a large oak tree.

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.

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.