The Authentic Leader

In the dynamic and sometimes dizzying world of education, change is constant. For the 2025/26 academic year, a number of significant shifts are on the horizon, from updated inspection frameworks to new safeguarding guidance and changes in staff pay. While some leaders may view these updates as a series of reactive hurdles, authentic leadership must be defined by a proactive stance, the ability to look ahead, anticipate new challenges, and prepare the school community for what is to come. This approach transforms potential disruptions into opportunities for strategic growth and collaborative adaptation. Staying ahead of the curve, scoping the possibilities and pitfalls allows a level of confidence, a sense of control and the beginnings of a playbook of approaches.

One of the most prominent changes is the impending new Ofsted inspection framework, expected to take effect in November 2025. This framework will replace the current single-grade judgments with a more detailed report card system and a new five-point grading scale. For the authentic leader, this isn’t just a matter of waiting for the new rules to be published. It’s a chance to elevate intentionality by beginning conversations with staff now, analysing the proposed “evaluation areas” and identifying where current practices align and where improvements can be made. By using the consultation outcomes as a guide for ongoing self-evaluation, a proactive leader ensures their school is already operating with the new standards in mind, making any future inspections less of an event and more of a confirmation of existing good practice.

Equally critical are the financial and staffing updates, most notably the 4% pay award for teachers and support staff. While the DfE will cover a portion of this, schools are responsible for the remainder, a detail that requires meticulous financial planning. Authentic leaders, understanding that stability is built on transparency, have already factored this into their budgets and have begun transparent conversations with their teams about how the increase will be managed. They recognize that a leader who is “on the horizon” understands that financial decisions directly impact staff morale and retention, and they will use this opportunity to champion growth and evolution by showing their team that they are valued and supported.

Furthermore, a series of important updates to statutory guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and the new rules on the use of reasonable force, demand more than a last-minute policy review. The authentic leader sees these as a mandate to deepen the school’s commitment to safety and wellbeing. They will ensure that their staff receive comprehensive training on the new requirements—such as the need to record significant incidents of force—long before the September deadline. By embracing the spirit of the updated guidance, a leader doesn’t just meet a minimum standard; they foster a culture where student and staff safety is a continuous priority, not a box-ticking exercise. The updated RSE guidance, which can be adopted from September 2025, also falls into this category, requiring thoughtful consultation and proactive curriculum development to support pupils appropriately. This process helps to combat complacency by moving beyond rote compliance and fostering a genuine sense of purpose.

Ofsted’s New Inspection Framework

One of the most prominent changes is the new Ofsted inspection framework, expected to take effect in November 2025. It replaces single-word judgments with a detailed report card system and a five-point grading scale ranging from causing concern to exemplary. For authentic leaders, this is a call to initiate staff discussions now—reviewing proposed evaluation areas and aligning current practices with future expectations.

Using the consultation outcomes as a guide for ongoing self-evaluation ensures that the school is already operating in line with the new standards, making future inspections less disruptive and more confirmation of existing good practice.

Staff Pay and Financial Planning

Equally critical are the financial and staffing updates, notably the 4% pay award for teachers and support staff. The Department for Education (DfE) will fund part of this increase, but schools must cover the remainder. Details are available via the DfE’s funding update.

Authentic leaders will have already factored this into their budgets and begun transparent conversations with staff about how the increase will be managed. They understand that financial decisions directly affect morale and retention and use this moment to reinforce that staff are valued and supported.

Safeguarding and Statutory Guidance

The updated Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance, effective from September 2025, introduces new expectations, including the requirement to record significant incidents involving the use of force. This is supported by revised guidance on reasonable force, which outlines statutory duties for schools.

Authentic leaders will ensure staff receive comprehensive training well ahead of the deadline. They embrace the spirit of guidance not just to meet minimum standards, but to cultivate a culture where safety and wellbeing are continuous priorities.

School Uniform: Affordability and Policy Reform

The cost of school uniform has come under renewed scrutiny. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged schools to immediately limit the number of branded items required, ahead of a statutory cap due in September 2026. The proposed cap will limit branded items to three at primary and four at secondary, including PE kit and ties.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), responded by affirming that schools are already mindful of financial pressures on families. He supported the intent behind the policy but suggested that a cap on total uniform cost might be a more effective solution. He also highlighted the broader issue of child poverty, calling for a meaningful government strategy to address it.

Authentic leaders will take this moment to review their uniform policies, engage in consultation with families, and ensure that affordability is central to their approach. This is not just about compliance, it is about equity, dignity, and ensuring every child can attend school without financial strain. One less barrier, one less excuse; one less concern.

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Updates

The updated RSE statutory guidance, published in July 2025, can be adopted from September 2025, with full implementation expected by September 2026. This guidance calls for thoughtful curriculum development and meaningful consultation with parents and pupils.

Authentic leaders will treat this as an opportunity to strengthen the school’s approach to personal development, ensuring that RSE is inclusive, age-appropriate, and aligned with the school’s values.

Authentic leader’s understands that the educational landscape is constantly shifting. They do not merely react to government bills and guidance as they come into force but rather anticipate their arrival. By paying close attention to upcoming changes in inspection, staffing, and safeguarding, they can strategically prepare their school, ensuring that policies, practices, and people are all aligned. This foresight creates a stable and resilient school community, transforming external mandates into internal, collaborative opportunities for improvement and allowing them to inspire deeper connections with their staff and children.

The authentic leader, in every interaction, acts as an architect of their school’s future.