Category Archives: Education

As school leaders, what are the problems that we can best focus our thinking and action on? What are the most useful questions to ask together? ***   School strategy problems: how can we make our school improvement efforts cohere?  … Continue reading →

Sometimes we are so deep in an orthodoxy we cannot see it. In their new book, Becky Allen, Matthew Evans and Ben White give us ways to question how we see and think about our schools.  They combine a visit … Continue reading →

ResearchEd is one of the most exciting developments in teaching in the last ten years. Teachers and school leaders are now asking questions that cut to the core of how we can improve education. The sharing, passion, generosity and collegiality … Continue reading →

As school leaders, we need feedback from staff on how things are going; we can’t be present in that many hotspots, CPD sessions, lessons or conversations. But it’s hard for staff to be fully honest when their jobs, livelihoods and … Continue reading →

Staff don’t often tell school leaders what they truly think about what matters most.. Why does seeking honest upward feedback from staff matter? Being ignored is demotivating. We want staff to be able to share their struggles and mistakes without … Continue reading →

In 10 years in schools, I’ve always been prone to frazzling overstretch. I think we as school leaders often are: it’s tough to know what and how to prioritise. I reckon the history of strategy can help us out.  I’ll … Continue reading →

‘The scientific approach to identifying best practices is the best long-term bet.’ Prof Rob Coe The scientific revolution dramatically improved medicine.  Doctors applied scientific research evidence to vastly improve healthcare over time. Infant, maternal and preventable mortality fell worldwide; longevity … Continue reading →