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Successful difficult conversations

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Look Outstanding, Become Outstanding

Category: Team culture

Why excellent schools look like they have extra budget

Here’s something I see in outstanding schools almost everywhere I go: They look like they have money. But they don’t. They have more Superstars on their payroll. What do I mean by superstars? People who are brilliant at their job and great cultural fit for your school. Put simply, you’d clone them if you could! And that alone gives them the equivalent of £200k extra for every £1m of payroll.

The four numbers that make your school budget go further

School budgets can feel so out of your hands — formulas, pay rises, energy costs… all set elsewhere. And when we talk about budgets, we usually dive straight into codes and spreadsheets. The best heads I work with look past the spreadsheet. They keep focusing on four human numbers that tell them whether their school is getting real value from their biggest spend — payroll.

For the leader who’s given their all this term (again)

We always talk about “the Christmas holidays”…but let’s be honest — for those who work in schools, Christmas doesn’t always feel like a holiday.

A wellbeing boost that puts responsibility in the right place

School plays. Religious festivals. End-of-term deadlines. And Christmas chaos on top. Everyone’s busy. Everyone’s tired. Here’s a light-touch wellbeing boost that works — without burning you out

Morale boosters that actually work

Is morale dipping? And the usual things aren’t working? Morale isn’t built in away days, sugar highs, or quick “pick-me-ups.” Those can be nice in the moment — but they fade fast. Lasting morale comes from tiny moments of care, consistently given. Things that tell your team: “I see you, I value you, and I’m here with you.”

Why everything suddenly feels harder right now (and what to do about it)

Feeling like things have gone a bit wobbly lately? Maybe your team isn’t clicking quite as well as they were before half-term? Staff are a bit more tired, a bit more tense. Behaviour feels trickier. Parents are knocking a little louder. It can feel like the wheels are starting to come loose — but there’s a reason this happens every year around now.

High achievement without burnout — and national recognition to prove it

East Wichel isn’t a shiny outlier. It’s a large, two-form entry school with high mobility and a deeply mixed pupil population. It’s in a town that’s been publicly called out as an education “cold spot” — a place often overlooked and unfairly judged. But under the leadership of Paula Phillips, something different took root.

Inbox zero? Nope. Just this simple trick

Why does my inbox look empty, but it isn't… Because I snooze emails. A lot. Maybe you’ve found ‘snooze’ already. But if not, you’re in for a treat :) It’s one of the best ways I’ve found to protect my time, my brain, and my well-being.

Thinking about Sept INSET? 5 tips to help you.

September INSET is coming. Faster than we’d like! There’ll be the usual - mandatory training, safeguarding updates, maybe some new policies. It’s one of the few moments in the year when *everyone* is in the room. So here’s a question: How could you use INSET to grow culture, not just compliance?

The difference between good and great teams isn’t hours

Do 95%+ of your team work at least as hard as you? 58% of school leaders say *no*. And yet… 77% say 95%+ of their staff are driven by what’s best for the children. So where’s the disconnect?

Category: Team culture

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