This week, scientists discovered that your nose gets colder when you’re under stress. If that’s true, there must be a legion of icy-nosed school leaders across the country right now, bracing themselves for November and the looming shadow of Ofsted. ... Continue Reading →
After three decades in education, 22 of those as a headteacher I’ve seen trends rise, fall, and occasionally come back with a new hat. But SEND has morphed from a challenge into a full-blown daily crisis, with a price tag... Continue Reading →
In September of this year, we joined a Multi Academy Trust. It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it was a journey the school took that spanned nearly four years. From initial conversations, which we knew would go nowhere – exploring... Continue Reading →
Atelophobia is an extreme fear of imperfection. Someone with this disorder may be terrified of making mistakes, or go to great lengths to avoid new situations because they can't guarantee that they'll succeed. The current education system is adding to School Leader Atelophobia... Continue Reading →
Serving our communities shouldn’t feel like a life sentence. I spoke to an ex colleague last week. Asking how they were getting on in their second year of headship. I knew them well and had helped them through some tough... Continue Reading →
Recently, I faced the fact that I had failed at something – quite publicly and dramatically - and it really hurt. I had a role of responsibility and I could not do it as I believed others felt I should... Continue Reading →
CONTENT WARNING - Once again – this is a ramble – this topic is huge and I start to hit on issues that I could spend thousands of hours on (And still get nowhere!). That’s not the purpose of a... Continue Reading →
I am, like many, not a fan of Just Stop Oil. I find myself thinking, why? Why do that? I sometimes wonder how I would have reacted to the suffragette movement if I had lived in that time? I imagine... Continue Reading →
Today, in an unprecedented move, all three headteacher associations came together in Somerset to make a joint statement to Ofsted. This shows the depth and strength of feeling about the treatment of schools and the profession right now. Ofsted and... Continue Reading →
Old Primary Head 