The Leadership Lens

Managing Emotionally Heightened Conversations in Schools

In this episode of The Leadership Lens, we explore the powerful ideas behind Talking to Crazy by Mark Goulston and what school leaders can learn about managing emotionally heightened conversations with parents. Drawing o

Beyond labels - Getting inclusion right for children known or previously known to social care

Beyond Labels: Getting Inclusion Right for Children Known or Previously Known to Social Care In this week’s episode, we explore one of the most important—and often misunderstood—areas of the renewed inspection framework:

Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Why Getting the Right People Matters – and Why Keeping Them Matters Even More

🎧 The Leadership Lens Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Why Getting the Right People Matters – and Why Keeping Them Matters Even More In this week’s episode, we explore one of the most complex and consequential aspects

I thought we had our Personal Development offer sorted... Then I properly looked at it!

I Thought We Had Our Personal Development Offer Sorted… Then I Properly Looked at It This week’s episode is an honest reflection on what started as a simple PSHE/RSHE update… and quickly became something much deeper. Wit

Premortems: The Missing Step in School Improvement Planning

In last week’s episode, I explored why so many school development plans don’t quite do what we hope they will. We looked at the idea that we often focus too heavily on goals, rather than the day-to-day systems and habits

Why Most School Development Plans Don't Work... And How To Write One That Does

🎙️ The Leadership Lens – Show Notes Episode: Why Most School Development Plans Don't Work and How to Write One That Actually Does Most school development plans look right on paper… but don’t actually change what happens

KCSIE 2026: The Safeguarding Briefing You Actually Need: Part 2

KCSIE 2026: The Safeguarding Briefing You Actually Need – Part 2 In this episode of The Leadership Lens, we move into Part 5 of the KCSIE 2026 consultation draft. We unpack: The explicit inclusion of harmful sexual behav

KCSIE 2026: The Safeguarding Briefing You Actually Need - Part 1

Episode Title: KCSIE 2026: The Safeguarding Briefing You Actually Need This week’s episode cuts through the noise surrounding the draft Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 guidance and focuses on what school

Generative AI: What School Leaders Need to Know Now

🎧 The Leadership Lens — This Week’s Episode Show Notes This week’s episode tackles one of the most urgent emerging areas for school leaders and DSLs: Generative AI and safeguarding — what leaders actually need to know n

The Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving – What School Leaders Need to Know

In this week’s episode of The Leadership Lens, we take a deep dive into the government’s newly published Schools White Paper - 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' and the wider programme of reform currently shaping the

Inclusion: A Culture of Belonging - A Staff Guide

This episode came about after I was asked to lead an hour long training session (with out fabulous Trust Inclusion Lead- shout out to Beth!!) with staff in primary and secondary schools on how to create a culture of belo

The Curriculum Monitoring Blueprint: Sequencing Monitoring Activities for Real Curriculum Impact

The Curriculum Monitoring Blueprint - Sequencing Monitoring Activities for Real Curriculum Impact Monitoring isn’t a calendar. It isn’t compliance. And it isn’t something you “do” for inspection. It’s architecture. In th

Half Term Reset: The 1% Shift That Protects Your Leadership

Half Term Reset: The 1% Shift That Protects Your Leadership The Leadership Lens – Episode 29 February half term is not just a break. It’s a checkpoint. Far enough away from January to see what’s actually stuck. Close eno

Early Writing, Strong Foundations and The Writing Framework

🎧 The Leadership Lens Early Writing, Strong Foundations, and the Writing Framework In this episode of The Leadership Lens, we focus on one of the most important — and often least secure — areas of curriculum practice: e

When the Behaviour Policy Isn't Enough: Supporting Pupils With Additional Needs Without Burning Out Staff

When the Behaviour Policy Isn’t Enough Even in schools where behaviour systems are strong, there is often a small number of pupils whose needs sit outside the universal approach. Their behaviour escalates, staff become e

Why Early Reading Still Matters - But Not in Isolation

Interventions: Choosing the Right Support and Proving It Works

In this episode, I’m talking about choosing the right interventions for pupils - and especially for pupils with SEND — and why, in so many schools, it can start to feel confusing and over-complicated. In lots of schools,

Inclusion, SEND and the Leadership Work That Actually Changes Outcomes

SEND has rightly been reframed around 'inclusion' and the Ofsted toolkit echoes this approach through every evaluation area. In this episode, we explore how leaders can ensure that pupils with special educational needs a

Designing Personal Development on Purpose - From 'We Do Lots' to 'Here's Our Curriculum'

Personal development is one of the judgements school leaders talk to me about more than any other — and often with the most uncertainty. Not because schools aren’t doing good work. Not because leaders don’t care deeply a

Staff Wellbeing Is Not Yoga (And Other Things We Need to Stop Pretending)

Over the last few years, staff wellbeing has become one of the most commonly used phrases in education leadership. Yoga after school. Mindfulness apps. Staff breakfasts. Wellbeing days. And yet — teachers and support sta