Successful difficult conversations

Category: Excellence in schools

It’s been hard to recruit good quality teachers for some time and it only seems to get harder.   The reality is it’s an employee market right now: There are fewer teachers to recruit There are plenty of vacancies   So how do you attract the best? As a student of excellence, I look at […]

We so often hear about schools no longer being outstanding. But what we don’t hear about as often is those that retained their outstanding judgement. And what I find is these schools have done this by creating really impressive schools, with a great culture.     Tracy Cafull is one of our speakers at Moving […]

Yes, that time of year is coming when people will hand in their notice. There might be some people for whom you think it’s a good decision (for them and/or for your school). But it would be understandable if your heart sank, because recruitment isn’t easy right now. Here are 3 ways to think about […]

Welcome back! Summer term here we go!   You might have heard the saying: you’re the sum of the 5 people you hang out with the most.   I think the same is true of schools:   You’re the sum of the 5 schools you hang out with the most.    So who are you […]

I love the phrase: environment is the third teacher. What is your environment whispering to your children and staff team about your standards?
I look at school Ofsted history all the time. I know, I know; you don’t do what you do for Ofsted. But I find the majority of Ofsted judgements are accurate. Controversial, I know, and there are exceptions. So if we say 80% of judgements are right then what do we see in a school’s inspection history? And how can that help you?
I’ve heard many an Ofsted inspection story, some heartwarming and just how you would want an inspection to be (regardless of the judgement) because they are developmental and supportive, whilst giving an honest summary of the school. And the horror stories that make you sink!
I’ve met a lot of Outstanding Heads and walked into a lot of Outstanding schools. And I hear a lot of ‘myths’ about what it is to be Outstanding. Here are seven I come across regularly:

I know that hearing the ‘O’ word can sometimes send shivers down your spine and send you into a thought process of ‘What will they think of us’, but here at Heads Up we encourage schools and Headteachers to think in another way. A great restaurant who consistently deliver high quality plates of food from […]

As a headteacher you are the leader of your school and the leader of the next generation; you know too well that your school’s success ultimately rests on your shoulders. Leadership creates culture by design; a lack of leadership allows a culture to form by accident. Great leaders create great cultures. The behaviour of individuals, […]