Blog: School leadership Tips
A parent says: “My child would never do that.”
You know the evidence is there.
But you also know saying “You’re wrong” won’t help.
One of the biggest shifts in parent conversations is moving from opinion to evidence. But they don’t always believe you.
In this week’s email I share:
• why “evidence anchors” matter
• how to respond when perceptions differ
• a powerful question to ask when parents reject the evidence you’re sharing
Have you had that moment when you open your inbox and amongst the sea of emails there’s one name that might as well be in neon lights?
And not for good reasons.
I think every head I speak to has a few parent emails that emotionally infiltrate the day before they’ve even been opened.
So in my latest blog I share:
two practical email rules heads are using
and how to stop emotionally charged emails driving your response
Tiny tweaks.
Huge difference.
A very long parent email can take up emotional energy before you’ve even replied.
Here is a coaching technique that can completely change how you respond.
Welcome back! It’s a new school year and that always brings energy with it. New classes.New relationships.New opportunities to strengthen what already works well. And whilst September is undeniably busy, I think most school leaders also enjoy this time of year. There’s momentum.Fresh starts.The chance to build culture intentionally from day one. And that September […]
Three schools, three brilliant ideas for your new year
There's something about the run-up to September that feels different from any other time of year.
New pens. Fresh planners. That flicker of possibility.
One of my favourite things to do this time of year is look at what excellent schools are doing differently.
Over a third of the heads I speak to raise something about their team's culture.
Culture is abstract, but it's really just people — what they do, day in, day out. I've been looking at what's different in high-performing school teams.
Nearly half the heads I talk to raise the same thing. Whatever else is going on in their school, there’s a member of staff whose performance or behaviour isn’t where it needs to be. And a conversation they’ve been putting off. I get why. These conversations feel personal, even when they’re not. Most of us […]
How's your break going?
One of my Mastermind heads showed me how to plan a summer around what actually recharges you
The first two weeks of September shape far more of the parent culture than we realise.
Not through policy.
Through lived experience.
If parent issues felt heavy at times this year, this might help you head into September differently.