Sorry, this blog is a little messy – but I think it is one of the most important ones I’ve written this year. The issues have been burning away for some time. I came into teaching to educate; to build knowledge, understanding and prepare children... Continue Reading →
The Weight We Carry After years in headship, I find myself asking questions I never expected. Not about pedagogy, vision, or curriculum but about myself. Do I still have the energy, the resilience, the will to keep going? The longer... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
A week in education can be many sparks of time, fast, slow but there’s always an end.. here’s my reflection on last week. This week there have been times I have felt like a stranded astronaut staring out at the... Continue Reading →
I wrote a blog last week that detailed my recent health concerns and how I needed to acknowledge the impact that being a head teacher was having on my own wellbeing. It prompted an unprecedented response – over 100 DMs... Continue Reading →
Oh, in no time at all This'll be the distant past Father John Misty - Ballad of a dying man Very recently I have had to admit to myself that I am not made of iron; that I cannot just... Continue Reading →
Old Primary Head 