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Leadership Without Applause
There is a version of leadership that receives applause. It is visible. It launches things. It arrives with a strategy, a framework, a set of priorities and a timetable for implementation. It is easy to recognise because it leaves footprints everywhere it goes. There is another version that is harder to see. It leaves behind… — read more
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The Spark and the Surface: Why Leadership Needs a Little Theatre
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that belongs solely to the educational leader. It is the fatigue of the duck—the serene, gliding figure on the surface of the school day, maintaining an air of unflappable equilibrium while, beneath the waterline, the paddling is swift, relentless, and occasionally desperate. This is the quiet work. It… — read more
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Blatant Plug
So, this is from my other blog. I wrote it, couldn’t decide which blog it belonged on. I asked my wife. I read her the last paragraph and she didn’t know either. She’s the smart one. So, blatant plug. — read more
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Beyond the Metric: Harmonising the 2026 Reforms with a Developed and Divergent Curriculum
The landscape of secondary accountability in England is currently navigating a period of profound transition, moving away from the rigid mechanical constraints that have defined the previous decade. Following the 2025-26 data lacuna—a hiatus necessitated by the absence of pandemic-era primary baselines—the Department for Education and the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) are articulating a… — read more
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Birmingham School Attendance Strategy 2026–2029:
Key Headlines The overarching theme of the strategy is that “attendance is everyone’s business”. It marks a significant shift away from a purely punitive model, instead championing a collaborative, multi-agency approach designed to ensure every child in Birmingham has the support they need to thrive within the education system. Released this week, I offer an… — read more
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Hold the Line – The Leader’s Imperative
I cannot tell you how many times I happened across the film ‘Zulu’ on TV during the 70s and 80s. In my mind, the phrase “hold the line” functions as a crucial cultural constant within the history of human endeavour. While its origins are found in the literal musket-smoke of 19th-century linear warfare, its true… — read more
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Beyond Buckets: Schools Without the Squeeze
Academic Breadth: Because Children Aren’t Pancakes The education white paper “Every Child Achieving and Thriving,” published this past Monday, 23rd February 2026, marks a definitive pivot from the performance table era of the last decade toward a more holistic, inclusive model. Every Child Achieving and Thriving proposes a generational £4 billion overhaul of the SEND… — read more
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The Architecture of the Spark: Leading through Paradox and Territory
I’ve been a bit quiet lately, but that’s usually because things have been pretty noisy elsewhere!… I’ll have plenty to catch you up on in a few weeks. Right now, triads are at the top of my mind. I’ve realised that to keep growing myself, I’ve got to do it with others. And as luck… — read more
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Escape from the Planet of the Pudding Brains.
To survive on the Planet of the Pudding Brains, you cannot rely on the environment to provide structure. When your situation is “liquified,” you must become your own source of gravity. Here is a survival guide designed to keep your feet on the ground while everyone else is drifting into the fog; and when yours… — read more
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Where is the Love? The Moral Imperative in Educational Leadership
My favourite inquiry, “Where is the love?”, functions as a crucial cultural constant for any educational institution. This question moves beyond abstract definitions of vision and values to challenge leaders, educators, and subject specialists concerning the demonstrable, everyday expression of their core professional purpose. It seeks to ascertain how the profound dedication which drew professionals… — read more
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The Authentic Leader 