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.
“It’s great to have a space to show up as a leader and a person.” This was something a leader in my new group for headteachers said recently, and it really stayed with me. It hints at something many school leaders experience, often without quite naming it; a subtle gap between who you are and how you show up at work.