As we move into a new year, it is commonplace to find ourselves in a time of reflection. Frequently this is focussed on ourselves, on what we are proud of, but more often than not on how we have improve, how we can better ourselves and setting goals (however unachievable they maybe, sometimes!). But this …
Tag Archives: opinion
Trickle Down Edunomics?
What is the currency of education? Is it knowledge? Skills? Values? Respect? The true answer is probably that it should be a mixture of all those things. The balance of those things is different at different times, and probably rightly so – different circumstances lead to different priorities.The problem is, that isn’t what the currency …
Learning to Lead
I’ve been a headteacher for 6 years now. That whole time has been a massive learning process. Every day throws something new at you, and every day you learn something new about yourself, leadership, people and education. Here’s a few thoughts on things I’ve learned about leadership over my time as a head and how …
Here’s Why It Matters
Lots of talk yesterday and today about Johnson, Sunak, fines, law breaking and, around teaching and medical, Fabricant and his scurrilous claims around teachers and nurses popping into the staffroom at the end of the day together for a drink. Many people are trying to sweep under the carpet. We all broke a few rules, …
Dear Mr Zahawi…
Dear Mr Zahawi, I hope this letter finds you well. Unfortunately, it finds me less than well. It finds me exhausted, feeling inadequate and not really knowing which foot to put forward first. I understand 1 in 10 teachers were off school last week. In my school it was higher. In some it will have …
A Defence of the Profession
There is a lot in the media about teachers. Barely a week can go by without an article about what the profession is doing wrong, how it can do better and how we are failing children. It seems there is little to counterbalance that argument. The issue is, there is no right to reply. When …
To School Staff Everywhere…
Dear school staff everywhere, You’ve made it. This has got to have been one of the most brutal and challenging terms in memory. Until recently though, it was hard to put our finger on why. The last few weeks have a significant sense of deja vu when compared to last year, but before that it …
The House of Cards
I spent many a time in my youth trying to build a house of cards. Hour after hour spent delicately balancing just two cards that where so carefully placed that they would support each other. The joy of getting just two to stand was immense. Then I started on the next two and somehow managed …
Things You Need to Hear
Everyone is exhausted. Everyone. It’s been an absolutely manic half term. For some it’s over today, for many of us there is still a week to go. If you’ve made it…well done. I think we all thought this half term might be different. A return to some kind of normal. And to an extent is …
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Back to School We Go
This week brings the return to school for lots of us. I’m sure, like me, most people are experiencing the the mix of positivity about getting, lamentation for the end of the holiday and nerves over Covid and what the future will bring. There are people who want to get back to normal, people who …
An Apology to School Staff
I am sorry to have to interrupt your school holidays, but thought it important I write to you. I am sure you have seen and read the recent IfG, University of Cambridge and University of London research and reports. They were damning of the Department pointing out numerous failures and areas where we could, and …
You did good
The summer can often be a time for reflection. This might not be a year to want to reflect on. It’s been very, very hard. It seems to have rolled on from the last academic year without much of a break, certainly mentally, anyway. I think it is really important that we do reflect though, …
A Guide to Securing a Job
So, while many people may have secured a job for next year, I am well aware there are people still looking and getting worried about finding a post for next year. Here is my short guide to maximising your chances at suceeding in getting a post, from the start to the end of the process. …
A little Maths I learned…
I spent a good chunk of my time teaching maths at primary level, and although, admittedly, mainly at Key Stage 2 level, I like to think I was reasonably successful at it. I love teaching Maths, and I think it can be beautiful in its simplicity, and the patterns that can be found and the …
Ignore the Voice That Screams
Ignore the voice that niggles inside your head. The one that tells you to give it up, the one that tells you you’re fooling no-one. The one that screams ‘imposter’. We all have one. Because no matter how confident we might seem, it is in all of us. That nagging doubt, that tiny voice that …
Treat the Grown Ups Like Grown Ups
Yesterday I put out a tweet about why people fall out of love with teaching being nothing to do with the actual teaching part of the job. It seems to have struck a nerve in what became a quite disheartening thread about the reasons people have left teaching. It filled with stories of how they …
Teaching is easy, the layman opined…
‘Teaching is easy,’ the layman opined, with a poorly disguised chuckle and a glint in their eye. ‘I don’t get the fuss, or endless tales filled with woe or the mess or stress, but I have to confess that I’d happily give long breaks a go.’ You nod and you smile as you look down …
Leadership, A Little Less Distilled
Following this tweet https://twitter.com/secretHT1/status/1352892060798513154 I’ve fleshed out some of my thoughts on the most important aspects of leadership. 1) Put Your Ego to One Side Yes, we’re in charge of something. Yes, we’ve been given a place of responsibility, but don’t let it get to ours head. There’s still a lot we don’t know about …
You Do Not Go Unseen
What you do does not go unseen. Even if it feels like it, it doesn’t go unseen and you don’t go unseen. The prep, the work, the delivery, the videos, the uploading, the feedback, the video calls, the live lessons, the late nights, the early starts. None of it goes unseen. The children don’t know …
New Year, Old You
As we start a new year we hear so much about resolutions, life changes, altering things about ourselves in the pursuit of better, different, more affirming, more efficient, more effective. Yes, these are all worthwhile goals and, yes, can make huge impacts on your work/life/attitude. Sometimes though, all of it can be a bit much …
Dear Mr Williamson, further to my previous letter.
Dear Mr Williamson, It has been a while since I last wrote to you. In a number of ways many things have changed. We have welcomed back almost all pupils and greeted them with smiles, warm hearts, cheeriness and sensitivity as they have returned to school this term, no doubt anxious about what it would …
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Making the Most of Your Teaching Practice
Soon, trainees everywhere will be making their steps into new schools for new placements. It can be daunting, scary and thrilling all at the same time. All of mine were so different in terms of scope, demographic and age group and they were all excellent learning experiences. These are my top tips for making the …
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Dear Mr Williamson
Let me begin by saying that the last 6 months has been an undoubtedly difficult time. What has occurred has not been seen in 100 years and difficult decisions have had to be made – life changing decisions, unenviable decisions and often impossible decisions. I understand that and very few people would want to be …
Why Do I Trust?
We see a lot of values in schools now. This will always be high on my personal list. It is so powerful and can be an absolute game-changer in so many ways. I’ve already written a blog on how to build trust as a leader, but this will dig a little deeper into why it …
Why Do I Rest?
This one is all about why I feel the need to strike the right work life balance. I am no good to anyone if I’m burned out, exhausted and stressed out. I’m ratty, shorter with people and my family end up bearing the brunt of it. This is the one I particularly feel guilty about. …
Catch Up, Not Patch Up
So much out there about catch up at the moment, and rightly so. Some children have missed everything, some have missed a lot and some have missed most of what they should have covered over the second half of this year. We’ve been asked to prioritise catch up in Reading and Maths and Phonics and …
Guidance On Schools Opening on 1st June
Last updated 25 May 2020 Information for Schools We are asking schools to re-open their doors and welcome back children in nursery, Year R, 1 and 6 from the 1st June 2020. Before moving onto practicalities, let us first thank each and everyone of you for all you have done so far. By making provision …
Ask a Headteacher Anything
This morning I asked people on Twitter to ask me anything they had every wanted to ask a headteacher. There were some really challenging questions, and I have really reflected on myself and some of the things I do and why. Below are all the questions and my responses in one place, feel free to …
The Secret Headteacher 