At what point does being a leader really hit home?

In her first guest blog for us, our Associate Coach Maggie describes the moment it happened for her and shares her experience of growing into the leader that she is today.

“And this was it – the lightning bolt moment when I realised that I was the Headteacher and leader and should have all the answers.”

The phrase “doing more with less” has become a familiar refrain in education; a mantra repeated so often it risks becoming background noise to a deficit model. But for school and trust leaders facing real-terms funding cuts, rising costs, and growing expectations, it is the reality.  

Leading under financial pressures demands high-quality and wise strategic leadership. But it isn’t enough to be strategic in your thinking; it calls for clarity, courage, creativity and connection, the ability to maintain educational quality while navigating complexity and constraint. 

As we enter the final half of the summer term, we outline key thoughts for school leaders to consider as they review their strategy and consider the upcoming academic year.