Teams behaviour T3
Get the Right People on the Bus
Even the best strategy fails with the wrong team. Recruit, place and develop people who share your values, judging evidence rather than first impressions.
Jump to T3 resources ↓What this behaviour looks like
Right people, right seats
A leader is clear about the values and capabilities a role needs and tests every candidate fairly, often with pupils' views on lessons. Once people join, the leader invests in their growth and makes sure each person is in a seat that fits their strengths.
A practical example
Interviewing for a class teacher
Hiring on impression“She interviewed brilliantly and seemed really warm. I think she'll fit in well here.”
Hiring on evidence“We agreed three essentials and gave every candidate the same questions and classroom task, with pupils feeding back on each lesson. We compared the evidence against the criteria, not first impressions. Her examples, lesson and the pupils' views showed the patience and follow-through our children need.”
The panel agreed three essentials for the role.
Same questions and classroom task, with pupil feedback on each lesson.
Compare the evidence against the criteria, not first impressions.
Write down up to five essentials for the role, a question or task for each essential, and how you will compare the evidence before deciding.
T3 · Resources for your setting
Put ‘Get the Right People on the Bus’ 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 T3 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 T3 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 T3 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
Appointing a teacher with SEND responsibility
Elaine · Headteacher · 186-pupil rural primary school
Worked example at a glance
Appointing a teacher with SEND responsibility
The challengeIn a small staff, the new class teacher with SEND responsibility must be a strong classroom teacher and the colleague others learn from, without ending up owning SEND alone.
What the leader doesThe headteacher defines essentials such as adaptive teaching and collaborative inclusion, uses fair tasks, independent scoring and clear decision rules, then inducts the appointee with mentoring and a bounded leadership contribution.
What success looks likeBy day 30 fair tasks and decision rules should be secure; by day 60 the new teacher should establish safe inclusive practice; by day 90 their first bounded review of a classroom adaptation should succeed.
Colin · Deputy Headteacher for families and attendance · 582-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
Appointing a family support worker
The challengeThe school needs family engagement that people trust and case follow-through that holds. The last appointment process blurred empathy with an absence of professional boundaries.
What the leader doesThe deputy head sets common tasks and essential thresholds for trust with clear boundaries, safeguarding judgement and follow-through, scores them independently, then inducts the appointee with fortnightly safeguarding supervision.
What success looks likeBy day 30 common tasks and essential thresholds should be secure; by day 60 the appointee should practise safe, reliable family support; by day 90 their first contribution, improving one attendance pathway, should show results.
Priyanka · Early Years Leader · 248-pupil infant school
Worked example at a glance
Recruiting an early years teaching assistant
The challengeThe team needs a teaching assistant who strengthens communication support. Last time, the choice rested largely on an informal conversation and on how warm someone seemed.
What the leader doesThe early years leader turns responsive interaction, independence-building support and accurate observation into observable tasks, checks the panel scores them consistently, and follows the appointment with mentor observation and coaching.
What success looks likeBy day 30 observable, fair tasks should be calibrated; by day 60 the appointee should demonstrate responsive practice; by day 90 their independent contribution to the team should be secure.
Harriet · Headteacher · 1,170-pupil secondary school
Worked example at a glance
Appointing an assistant head for inclusion
The challengeThe post needs strategic influence and operational credibility, but the draft selection process rewards polished presentation more than evidence that anything would change.
What the leader doesThe headteacher replaces presentation-led stages with common tasks, adjustments and agreed thresholds for inclusive judgement, influence and implementation, then plans an induction that holds the new leader to early improvement.
What success looks likeBy day 30 a valid senior selection process should be ready; by day 60 the appointee should establish credible relationships; by day 90 the first inclusion improvement should be taking hold.
Georgia · Deputy Headteacher for personal development · 980-pupil secondary school
Worked example at a glance
Selecting a careers and destinations leader
The challengeEmployer links are strong but unevenly documented, and the post needs curriculum influence and impartial guidance rather than a talent for organising events.
What the leader doesThe deputy head sets calibrated tasks that test impartial guidance, use of evidence and partnership credibility, scores them independently and inducts a leader who shares contacts and expertise rather than holding them personally.
What success looks likeBy day 30 selection evidence and thresholds should be secure; by day 60 the appointee should establish credible relationships with pupils, staff and partners; by day 90 access to one Year 10 careers encounter should improve.
Mustafa · Director of Student Support · 1,610-pupil secondary school
Worked example at a glance
Appointing a non-teaching head of year
The challengeYear 9 needs consistent early intervention, but recent recruitment has favoured confident disciplinarians over people who listen and coordinate support.
What the leader doesThe director makes relational authority, safeguarding judgement and fair pastoral decisions the essentials, calibrates tasks with assessors and treats both pupil panel and DSL views as evidence, with safeguarding non-negotiable.
What success looks likeBy day 30 fair pastoral tasks should be calibrated; by day 60 the appointee should demonstrate safe relational practice; by day 90 the Year 9 routine should improve.
Ruth · Head of Design and Technology · 1,260-pupil secondary school
Worked example at a glance
Recruiting a design and technology teacher
The challengeThe department needs strong subject teaching and safe workshop practice, and wants to avoid appointing someone simply because they remind the team of themselves.
What the leader doesThe head of department sets subject and workshop-safety tasks with essential thresholds, separates essentials from preferences such as knowing the current specification, and supports the appointee with mentor and technician feedback.
What success looks likeBy day 30 valid subject and safety tasks should be ready; by day 60 the appointee should teach safely and responsively; by day 90 their refinement of a shared Year 8 demonstration should improve practice.
Owen · Trust Chief Operating Officer · ten-school trust
Worked example at a glance
Appointing a trust digital leader
The challengeThe trust is appointing a Director of Digital Infrastructure across ten schools. Service reliability varies by school, and the role profile overweights technical qualifications while barely mentioning service leadership.
What the leader doesThe COO rebuilds the essentials around service-minded judgement, clear risk communication and fair decisions, sets common tasks for every candidate, trains and moderates assessors, and plans an induction schools can hold the appointee to.
What success looks likeBy day 30 a fair, role-specific process should be ready; by day 60 the appointee should show safe early contribution; by day 90 service leadership and equitable impact across the schools should be credible.
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.
Further reading
Recommended book
Good to Great – Jim Collins (2001)
This book supports the behaviour by explaining how selecting the right people and roles creates the foundation for exceptional performance.
References from the Everyone Succeeds book
- Collins, J. (2001) Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don't. London: Random House Business Books. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Bryar, C. and Carr, B. (2021) Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. London: Macmillan Business. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Pink, D.H. (2009) Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. New York: Riverhead Books. Buy on Amazon ↗
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