As the school year draws to a close, there is often a pull towards reinvention. September can start to feel like a blank page where everything will finally fall into place, where organisation improves, leadership becomes easier or where a more refined version of ourselves emerges. It is an appealing idea, particularly after a demanding year.
There are moments in school leadership when it can feel like everything is shifting at the same time. Not just in one area, but across different parts of the system all at once. That’s certainly how a lot of my clients are feeling at the moment, with new expectations, shifting guidance, and ongoing demands continuing regardless of what else is changing around them.
There’s a point in the year when many school leaders start to think, “I’ll deal with that in September.” I know because I’ve thought it myself and it makes sense on the surface. September feels like a natural reset point, a new academic year and a chance to start differently. But in reality, it rarely offers what we imagine it will.