We live in an age that feels uncertain.

Globally, the world order we’ve known seems to be shifting.
Nationally, politics feels less certain than it once did.
And in schools you’re facing a new Ofsted framework, the White Paper, rising complexity in pupil needs and parents who understandably expect more than ever before.

It’s no wonder leadership feels uncertain!

Some days it might even make you think about quitting.
Or retiring earlier than planned.

And yet…

Leadership in schools has always lived with uncertainty.

Think back to Covid.

I’ve heard many heads say, with hindsight, that in some ways it felt easier. 

And I understand why people say that.

But that’s hindsight talking.

At the time the uncertainty was immense.

Hour by hour we were asking questions no one could answer

• If someone caught Covid, would they die?
• How were schools supposed to keep children and staff safe?
• What exactly was a “bubble” and how were we meant to run a school inside one?

The uncertainty was constant.
Every day brought new information, new rules, new fears.

And yet you got through it.

More than that — I watched many schools come out of that period stronger than before.

I’m not pretending things aren’t hard now.

They are.

The pressures around funding, behaviour, SEND, accountability and recruitment are very real.

But the uncertainty we’re feeling today isn’t actually new.

History and hindsight often make the past feel more stable than it really was.

Take Ofsted.

Do you remember when the last framework arrived and “deep dives” appeared?

I remember the conversations vividly. People saying:

 “Outstanding is basically impossible now.”

A year later we knew that wasn’t true.

And now some people almost look back on that framework with fondness.

Uncertainty has a habit of doing that.

It creates anxiety because we don’t yet know how the story ends.

Mo Gawdat, the author of Solve for Happy, talks about a very practical way to deal with uncertainty.

He says: worry is about uncertainty.

So ask a simple question:

Is this within your control?

If the answer is no, worrying about it won’t change the outcome.

If the answer is yes, then the task becomes clear — gather the information you need and take the next step.

He also talks about anxiety and panic — and let’s face it, they like to hang out with uncertainty.

Anxiety is about capability.
Cure: learn.

Panic is a time problem.
Cure: reprioritise to create time.

School leadership is often exactly that.

• You don’t control the wider world.
• You don’t control government policy.
• You don’t control inspection frameworks or White Papers.
  (But you’ll learn what they mean and you’ll find the wins in them — just as you have before.)

But you do control what happens inside your school.

You control the culture you build.
The expectations you hold.
The way your team works together for children.

And you’ve already shown you can lead through uncertainty.

You’ve done it many times before.

So as you head into the Easter break, remember this.

Uncertainty isn’t new.

And you will navigate it again.

Some seasons are bigger than others.

Covid was huge.
Policy shifts and frameworks feel big.

But the work of leadership is always the same: navigating forward one step at a time.

And you’ve already proven you can do that.

I hope the Easter break gives you some proper rest.

You’ve earned it.

Sonia

P.S. You know a head who is feeling uncertainty right now. If this email helped you, share it with them.

And if they like it they can get my weekly leadership tips here.