Be Wonderful to Work With

The challengeA Year 4 teacher asked for help with low-level disruption. The headteacher said 'leave it with me', then did not return for four days, and the teacher had to chase during a difficult week.

What the leader doesThe headteacher acknowledges the broken promise, asks what help the teacher wants, rehearses the classroom reset with them and replaces 'leave it with me' with three questions: what help, who owns the next step, and when.

What success looks likeBy day 30 every leadership promise should have a named action and time, with nobody chasing; by day 60 staff seeking help should keep ownership of their work; by day 90 part-time and support colleagues should report equally dependable contact.

The challengeAn experienced Year 5 teacher's warm questioning accepts choral or volunteered answers, so quieter pupils' understanding is unknown. The deputy has raised it twice but softened it until the change was unclear.

What the leader doesThe deputy head names the specific practice and its effect on pupils without undoing earlier praise, hears the teacher's view, agrees one rehearsal and is open about the evidence and when coaching would become accountability.

What success looks likeBy day 30 the teacher should consistently gather evidence from every pupil before independent work; by day 60 coaching records should name an observable change and review date; by day 90 staff should find feedback respectful and unambiguous.

The challengeA Year 1 teacher and teaching assistant adapted an RE discussion routine and participation rose. The RE lead praised the class display instead, then shared their resource without asking permission.

What the leader doesThe RE lead names their specific professional judgement and its impact on pupils, acknowledges sharing too quickly, learns their reasoning and agrees with them whether and how the practice is shared.

What success looks likeBy day 30 every shared RE example should state its purpose, adaptation and contributor permission; by day 60 part-time staff and teaching assistants should provide half the examples discussed; by day 90 colleagues should feel their expertise is recognised.

The challengeThe headteacher emailed the data manager demanding a correction by 10.00, brought the deadline forward without explanation, copied in two senior leaders and overlooked the examination return already due that morning.

What the leader doesThe headteacher goes to see the data manager, acknowledges the message was disrespectful, hears what they were carrying, makes a clear priority decision and agrees how urgent requests can be safely challenged.

What success looks likeBy day 30 every urgent request should state the real deadline and what can move; by day 60 priority conflicts should be raised early and decided the same day; by day 90 high-pressure periods should feel calmer, with quality assurance no weaker.

The challengeA part-time geography teacher had three of four weekly lessons moved by a one-line email. The change solved a room conflict but cut preparation time and created a childcare difficulty.

What the leader doesThe assistant head acknowledges the impact, explains the constraints honestly, invites anything that could change the decision, offers practical mitigation and sets up a fair, accessible route for future timetable queries.

What success looks likeBy day 30 every significant timetable change should state its purpose, duration and query route; by day 60 disruption should be shared fairly across full-time and part-time staff; by day 90 changes should feel clearer and fairer, with cover no slower.

The challengeThe first two messages to the parent of a Year 6 pupil with SEND chased documents and stated attendance rules. The parent had already repeated sensitive information twice, and nobody had mentioned the pupil's strengths.

What the leader doesThe pastoral lead calls to recognise the pupil's strengths, listens without asking for another full retelling, agrees one coordinated contact route and keeps expectations high while addressing practical barriers.

What success looks likeBy day 30 every priority family should have one named contact and a strengths-based first conversation; by day 60 duplicate requests should fall by at least 75%; by day 90 families should report greater clarity and belonging, with transition attendance improving.

The challengeThe head of department agreed a complex Year 10 pastry practical for the next day without asking the technician, then forwarded it at 4.40 pm. The technician has absorbed similar changes with only general thanks.

What the leader doesThe head of department withdraws the assumption, acknowledges the workload and professional impact, lets the technician's evidence decide what is safely feasible and introduces one booking route for all practical requests.

What success looks likeBy day 30 all practical requests should use one route with a recorded feasibility decision; by day 60 late changes should fall from nine per half term to no more than two; by day 90 the technician's contribution should be specifically recognised.

The challengeDuring two heating failures, the director sent a site lead an abrupt instruction that did not say what work could stop or when updates would come, or credit their earlier report flagging the fault.

What the leader doesThe director calls to hear the impact, acknowledges the site lead's expertise and preventive report, keeps the safety standard clear and agrees that urgent requests will state priority and the next update time.

What success looks likeBy day 30 every urgent operations request should state priority, displaced work and next update time; by day 60 all six site leads should feel safe raising challenge; by day 90 preventive work should be recognised as consistently as crisis response.