Leadership behaviour L3
Get the Steps In
You cannot lead a school from behind a desk. Scheduled, purposeful presence shows you what really happens and tells people their day matters.
Jump to L3 resources ↓What this behaviour looks like
Walking shoes under the desk
A leader blocks non-negotiable time for classroom visits and corridor walks, and greets families at the gate. They engage with pupils, colleagues and parents with a clear focus, then act on what they learn instead of relying on second-hand reports.
A practical example
Making time for an afternoon walkaround
Behind the desk“Let me know if anything comes up this afternoon. I'm in meetings until four.”
Out with a focus“From Monday I will be on the corridors after lunch three days a week, looking at how quickly lessons start. I will tell you the same day what I saw, fix anything small straight away and come back to check the rest.”
Walk the corridors after lunch, three days a week.
Look at how quickly lessons start.
Report back that day, fix small things and return to check.
Block a short slot in your diary, choose a route and one thing to notice. Listen to colleagues and pupils, act on what needs attention and tell people what you followed up.
L3 · Resources for your setting
Put ‘Get the Steps In’ into practice
Develop your own practice or lead the learning with your team. Use the chapter and workbook to explore the behaviour, then choose the resources that fit your next step.
Apply · Your leadership practice
Put it to work
Use the L3 Playbook to turn the behaviour into practical action on a real leadership challenge.
- Practical toolkit and coaching prompts
- A practice script to rehearse your approach
- A 90-day plan to guide your next steps
Members only · Explore membership →
Apply · Learning with your team
Lead a team session
Use the L3 INSET PowerPoint to help colleagues explore the behaviour and plan how to put it into practice.
- Editable slides to adapt to your setting
- Speaker notes to support facilitation
- Discussion, rehearsal and planning
Members only · Explore membership →
Completed Playbooks
See L3 applied in eight leadership contexts
Choose your role to explore the challenge, the leader’s response and the intended result. Members can read the complete example and download an editable Word copy.
In a primary school
In a secondary school
Across schools
Selected completed example
In a primary school · Headteacher
Being useful at lunchtime
Jon · Headteacher · 248-pupil junior school
Worked example at a glance
Being useful at lunchtime
The challengeThe midday team mostly sees the headteacher when something has already gone wrong, and pupils have named two places in the playground that nobody is really holding.
What the leader doesThe headteacher walks a planned lunchtime route three days a week, covering both pinch points, the garden and indoor provision, and helps supervisors resolve disagreements themselves rather than taking them over.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every lunchtime zone should receive planned leadership presence; by day 60 repeat incidents at both pinch points should fall by 20%; by day 90 they should fall by 30%, with at least 80% of supervisors resolving ordinary disagreements without a senior leader.
Adrian · Assistant Headteacher · 248-pupil junior school
Worked example at a glance
Learning walks on independent practice
The challengeBook reviews are scheduled, but leaders rarely see how pupils begin and sustain independent work in real time.
What the leader doesThe assistant headteacher introduces short learning walks on three observable points about how pupils start independent practice, gives same-day feedback and makes sure every walk ends in support that is actually delivered.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every phase should receive a baseline walk and same-day feedback; by day 60 at least 90% of support actions should close within seven days; by day 90 pupils starting independent practice within two minutes should rise fifteen points in every phase.
Noah · Years 3 and 4 Phase and Transition Leader · 248-pupil junior school
Worked example at a glance
Supporting afternoon transitions in Year 3
The challengeYear 3 is losing the most learning time, transition quality varies, and the phase leader's visits are concentrated in the mornings rather than the less secure afternoons.
What the leader doesThe phase leader samples both Year 3 classes after lunch on rotating days, including a wet-play return, agrees prompts with the class teachers rather than taking over, and closes quick fixes promptly.
What success looks likeBy day 30 both classes should be sampled weekly on rotating days; by day 60 median avoidable waiting should fall by 15% with all quick fixes closed; by day 90 lost learning time should fall by 25% without weaker access.
Andrew · Headteacher · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 720 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Moving leadership presence to the afternoon
The challengeDeployment data show 72% of senior-leader presence happens before lunch, while incidents are rising in the afternoon.
What the leader doesThe headteacher frees time by cutting twenty minutes from the operational meeting, then asks each senior leader for protected presence blocks, including one in the afternoon, recording only what needs follow-up.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every senior leader should complete two protected blocks, one in the afternoon; by day 60 presence should be balanced and practical actions closed within five days; by day 90 late-afternoon incidents should fall by one third without more removals.
Stuart · Assistant Headteacher · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 720 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Hearing how routines feel
The challengeDashboards show the new culture routines are being completed, but leaders have little pupil or staff insight into how the routines feel in different settings.
What the leader doesThe assistant headteacher walks a weekly route that combines observation with pupil and staff voice, including the learning-support base, and passes each concern to a named owner the same day.
What success looks likeBy day 30 weekly rounds should combine observation and varied voice; by day 60 at least 90% of material concerns should close within five days; by day 90 at least 75% of each pupil group should describe the routines as fair.
Ryan · Attendance Lead · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 720 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Being at the attendance pinch points
The challengeThe attendance lead spends most of the week in meetings, while internal absence in Year 10 peaks after lunch and during lesson five.
What the leader doesThe attendance lead moves time to the Year 10 pinch points, meets pupils who are out of lessons calmly, helps them back safely and records what is actually keeping them out.
What success looks likeBy day 30 both pinch points and one quieter area should be covered every week; by day 60 at least 90% of promised support actions should close on time; by day 90 internal absence should fall by 20% without simply moving elsewhere.
Jack · Head of Design and Technology · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 720 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Visiting practical starts in workshops
The challengeLeadership visits focus on theory lessons, while equipment delays and safety routines vary across the department's four workshops.
What the leader doesThe head of department visits practical starts in all four workshops, keeps safety checks outside any negotiation, logs what causes delays and works with colleagues and the technician to remove the preventable ones.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every workshop type should have a safe-start baseline; by day 60 preventable delays should fall in all four areas without missed safety checks; by day 90 each subject's preventable delay should be under three minutes.
Martin · Trust Chief Operating Officer · twelve-school trust
Worked example at a glance
Planning central-team visits
The challengeCentral leaders visit schools frequently, but schools receive inconsistent feedback and the smaller schools see the central team least.
What the leader doesThe chief operating officer sets out a termly visit rota with an agreed purpose for each school, balances visits so smaller schools are not missed and closes every promised action on the date given.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every school should have an agreed visit purpose and termly slot; by day 60 at least 90% of central and school actions should close on time; by day 90 at least ten of twelve headteachers should rate visits as useful.
The complete Playbook is for members
Turn this example into action
Read the full toolkit, coaching and practice scripts, and 90-day plan. Members can view the PDF here and download an editable Word copy.
Resources for this behaviour
Templates and checklists from the resource library that put L3 into practice.
Further reading
Recommended book
In Search Of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies – Tom Peters and Robert Waterman Jr (1982)
This book deepens your understanding by showing how visible leadership presence builds connection, insight and shared purpose.
References from the Everyone Succeeds book
- Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (2018) Leverage Leadership 2.0: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Cohen, J., McCabe, E.M., Michelli, N.M. and Pickeral, T. (2009) 'School climate: Research, policy, practice, and teacher education', Teachers College Record, 111(1), pp. 180–213. View article ↗
- Hallinger, P. and Murphy, J.F. (2013) 'Running on empty? Finding the time and capacity to lead learning', NASSP Bulletin, 97(1), pp. 5–21. Read free ↗
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