Sharpen Your Tools

The challengeThe headteacher's feedback to trusted senior leaders often slides into vague praise, which protects comfort but leaves one habit that limits the deputy's impact unaddressed.

What the leader doesThe headteacher picks one change from a coached review of their practice, tells the deputy before using it, agrees words she can use to interrupt and stops talking after describing what was observed.

What success looks likeBy day 30 three feedback conversations should use the single change; by day 60 the deputy should paraphrase feedback and propose her own next step in two of every three conversations; by day 90 phase leaders should keep contributing for longer in meetings.

The challengeAttendance conversations can move too quickly to explanation or warning, so families hold back information the school needs to build an effective plan.

What the leader doesThe assistant head rehearses weekly with the family-support lead, observes an experienced practitioner, opens each meeting with what is fixed and what is open, and asks a colleague to record the balance of questions and warnings.

What success looks likeBy day 30 four meetings should open with what is fixed and what is open; by day 60 families should recall what was agreed a fortnight later in three of four meetings; by day 90 no family should learn of formal steps by letter.

The challengeThe geography lead is tempted by a year-long course, but the real gap is facilitation: either softening challenge so weak tasks stay unchanged or becoming directive, stopping colleagues' own judgement.

What the leader doesThe geography lead questions the course lead before applying, books the deputy to observe the Year 4 review and asks for a count of how often the lead answers their own questions.

What success looks likeBy day 30 the course decision should be made and the Year 4 review held with the deputy observing; by day 60 the approach should be repeated in a second year group; by day 90 teachers in two year groups should improve an enquiry unprompted.

The challengeOffered a funded place on a national programme, the headteacher has not yet named the real gap: during uncertain operational change, updates are overexplained and sound managed rather than trustworthy.

What the leader doesThe headteacher names the need in one sentence, tests the programme against it, and instead rehearses real updates with a headteacher peer who interrupts at the first sentence that does not ring true.

What success looks likeBy day 30 the funded-place decision should be minuted and the first peer session held; by day 60 ten colleagues asked at random should explain what is known and when they will hear more; by day 90 governors should see whether the peer route worked.

The challengeStandards reviews move quickly from headline data to action and sometimes treat correlation as explanation, while averages hide what individual pupils experience.

What the leader doesThe deputy runs a fortnightly evidence clinic with the trust analyst and research lead, moves any displaced clinic within the same week and uses prompts that separate observation, inference, alternatives and action.

What success looks likeBy day 30 any displaced clinic should be moved within the week or recorded as lost; by day 60 at least three of four fortnights should include a clinic; by day 90 standards reviews should close with an alternative explanation considered and a named owner.

The challengeLeading questions in restorative conversations secure quick agreement but leave harm unclear, and the head of year's Wednesday rehearsals keep being taken by the very incidents they are meant to prepare for.

What the leader doesThe head of year moves rehearsal to Friday at eight, agrees two mornings' cover, drops two low-value Friday tasks and brings a real transcript for the restorative lead to mark leading questions.

What success looks likeBy day 30 the Friday rehearsal slot should be protected with cover agreed; by day 60 four rehearsals should be complete and leading questions should have fallen; by day 90 pupils should give fuller accounts and complete the repair they agreed.

The challengeThe head of department's feedback is either too general to improve work or so directive that colleagues and students end up reproducing one leader's preferences.

What the leader doesAfter a conservatoire visit, the head of department names what does not transfer, brings back one question asking students what they wanted the viewer to notice, and sets a date to keep or drop it.

What success looks likeBy day 30 the intention question should be used once with Year 12 in front of the department; by day 60 two colleagues should use it and the department should decide whether it stays; by day 90 that decision should be acted on.

The challengeBudget presentations are technically accurate, but headteachers sometimes leave unable to explain the consequences of each option or challenge the recommendation.

What the leader doesThe director studies a skilled communicator, builds a three-option scenario page, rehearses it with a non-finance colleague who stops her wherever meaning is unclear and pauses after every option.

What success looks likeBy day 30 the scenario page should show the decision, three options, their consequences and the least certain assumption; by day 60 it should pass a second rehearsal; by day 90 at least nine of thirteen heads should explain what the choice means for them.