Lead for Lasting Excellence

The challengeFamilies who respond are 88% positive, but open events keep attracting the same families and two long-serving colleagues hold most of the relational knowledge.

What the leader doesThe headteacher pairs three developing colleagues with experienced family staff to shadow, co-lead and then lead conversations, and co-designs a neighbourhood listening session with an under-represented family group.

What success looks likeBy day 30 one new listening route should have run and three colleagues each led a family conversation; by day 60 participation by under-represented families should be rising; by day 90 trust should stay above 85%, with participation on track to double.

The challengeReporting is prompt and audits are strong, but new support staff are least sure what to do with small, ambiguous concerns, and deputy DSL capacity is narrow.

What the leader doesThe DSL gives new support staff and three deputy DSLs two role-specific scenarios to rehearse, and develops the deputies by having them observe, then recommend actions, then lead cases.

What success looks likeBy day 30 new support staff and three deputies should complete two coached scenarios; by day 60 every staff group should have practised and deputy duty be shared across three deputies; by day 90 every group should reach 95% scenario accuracy.

The challengePupils create and debug confidently, but progression and troubleshooting knowledge sit with the Computing lead, and two year groups borrow plans without understanding the sequence.

What the leader doesThe Computing lead asks a Key Stage 1 and a Key Stage 2 champion each to refresh one unit, rehearse a lesson with colleagues and handle first-line support, stepping in only for safeguarding or technical risk.

What success looks likeBy day 30 two champions should independently refresh, rehearse and review one unit; by day 60 every year group should use the common progression and troubleshooting approach; by day 90 strong outcomes should hold through a simulated leadership absence.

The challengeMost pupils (78%) belong to a club but only 49% of disadvantaged pupils do, and six of the most popular clubs depend on a single teacher.

What the leader doesThe headteacher has two high-demand clubs test paired leadership, with the lead modelling and the deputy taking over, while eight non-participating pupils identify barriers and receive a personal invitation and practical help.

What success looks likeBy day 30 two priority clubs should complete paired leadership and targeted access testing; by day 60 every high-demand activity should have a funded succession route; by day 90 participation should stay above 75%, with disadvantaged access tracking towards 70%.

The challengeEarly career teacher retention is strong, but mentor meetings are being shortened in two faculties, feedback quality varies and programme knowledge sits with one induction tutor.

What the leader doesThe assistant headteacher tests a protected-time exception process in two faculties, calibrates every mentor on one feedback scenario and has two future leads own an ECT check-in under observation.

What success looks likeBy day 30 two faculties should use the exception process and future leads complete supervised conversations; by day 60 mentoring should be consistently strong across faculties; by day 90 retention should stay above 90%, with both leads completing a half-term cycle.

The challengeNinety-six per cent of leavers reach sustained destinations, but apprenticeship knowledge and employer contacts sit with one adviser and tutors are less confident about technical routes.

What the leader doesThe head of sixth form develops four tutor champions through rehearsal, co-guidance and one observed real conversation, and moves ten priority employer relationships into a secure shared record.

What success looks likeBy day 30 four champions should complete observed guidance and ten employer records have secure ownership; by day 60 every tutor should give accurate first-line guidance; by day 90 destinations should stay above 95% with equitable fit.

The challengeGirls' engagement in PE has risen for three years, but Year 9 club numbers are starting to fall, pupils find the offer repetitive and one coach holds most relationships.

What the leader doesThe head of PE has a representative Year 9 group, including pupils who stopped or never joined, design the next six-week block, with two staff and two pupil leaders sharing defined roles.

What success looks likeBy day 30 a representative Year 9 group and four developing leaders should begin the renewed block; by day 60 Year 9 participation should rise with strong dignity and safety evidence; by day 90 engagement should stay above 85%, with Year 9 tracking towards 60%.

The challengeReception language outcomes are above national figures in all seven schools, but two lead practitioners hold almost all the coaching expertise, and coaching is cancelled first under pressure.

What the leader doesThe director tests a succession model in two schools: a lead practitioner models a 15-minute coaching cycle, a developing leader co-leads the second and leads the third under observation, using a shorter record.

What success looks likeBy day 30 two schools should complete three graduated cycles, with each developing leader meeting the coaching standard; by day 60 every school should nominate a pair; by day 90 six developing leaders should be in training across six schools.