One emotionally charged parent can distort the whole picture

A headteacher told me: “There’s been a parent living in my head, rent-free.” One difficult relationship can quietly distort how we feel about our whole school community. Especially when we care deeply and want to do a good job. This week’s blog is a calming reminder for school leaders carrying difficult situations into the break.

The simple shift that ends a parent standoff

You've explained your position. They've explained theirs. Ten minutes later you're still in exactly the same place. In my latest blog I share two tools that move things forward — even when you strongly disagree

You already have one of the best parent conversation tools. Is it in a file?

Your Home-School Agreement gets sent out in September, signed by parents, and filed away. But used well, it's one of the most powerful tools you have for managing difficult parent conversations — calmly and without it feeling confrontational. In my latest blog I share: why most Home-School Agreements end up doing nothing two simple shifts that make it genuinely useful and how to use it when things are going well, not just when they're going wrong

“My child would never do that!” — now what?

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

A practical way to stop emotionally charged emails hijacking leadership

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.

When a parent sends a 50-page email… do this first

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.

How to shape parent culture early — without adding more work

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 […]

Difficult Parents. This isn’t about blame. It’s about clarity.

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.

The parent who keeps coming back — and how to stop the cycle

Every headteacher knows that parent. The one who keeps coming back. Again. And again. You do your best to help, but it never feels resolved. You might even feel your stomach sink when you see them approaching. In this week’s short video, I share a simple framework that keeps you in control.

One quick calculation that calms parent overwhelm

Looking back over this half-term, you might feel like you’ve been dealing with one parent issue after another. It can feel like every parent has a problem. Or that too many parents are frustrated with what the school is doing.

Category: Parent communication

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