How do you know whether the ‘services’ your organisation provides are actually working for the people who use them? 

We’re not talking solely about central team processes here, we’re talking about the whole delivery within education; beyond meeting standards, auditing or organisational targets, to whether the newly appointed teacher moving through your induction process feels genuinely set up to succeed. Whether the student navigating a difficult transition feels supported and understood. Whether the family trying to engage with the school feels like the door is actually open for them.

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.