Yourself behaviour Y9
Build Habits That Last
Consistency beats intensity. Anchor one small habit to something that already happens, track it simply and restart without guilt when you miss.
Jump to Y9 resources ↓What this behaviour looks like
Consistency over intensity
A leader anchors a small, high-impact action to a moment that already happens, such as greeting staff by name at the gate or checking in with a pupil after break duty. They make it specific, track it simply and restart with curiosity, not guilt.
A practical example
Checking in with priority pupils
When I remember“I really must check in with the pupils I am worried about before things go wrong. I will try to catch them when I get a spare moment this week.”
A precise habit“When Tuesday and Thursday break duty ends, I will have a two-minute check-in with the next pupil on my list and note the step we agree. If an incident takes the slot, I will use the lunchtime fallback.”
Break duty ends on Tuesday and Thursday.
One two-minute check-in with the next pupil on the list.
If an incident takes the slot, restart at lunchtime.
Write a ‘When…, I will…’ sentence: the cue that already happens, the small action you will take and how you will restart if you miss it.
Y9 · Resources for your setting
Put ‘Build Habits That Last’ 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 Y9 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 Y9 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 →
Worked examples
See Y9 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 worked example
In a primary school · Headteacher
Making appreciation a daily habit
Owen · Headteacher · 206-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
Making appreciation a daily habit
The challengeThe headteacher notices positive detail during classroom visits but loses it once operational issues resume, so staff mostly hear from the headteacher when something needs attention.
What the leader doesAfter the final afternoon classroom visit, the headteacher names one contribution, its effect and why it matters before opening email, using a 4.15 pm fallback on difficult days and a staff map to check for bias.
What success looks likeBy day 30 appreciation should happen on four normal days weekly and staff feedback be gathered; by day 60 recognition should reach different roles; by day 90 the routine should hold for two weeks without the prompt and remain credible to staff.
Rhys · Deputy Headteacher for teaching and learning · 702-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
Booking coaching follow-up before the conversation ends
The challengeFollow-up after coaching is left as a verbal intention and gets crowded out by operational meetings, so agreed practice is not revisited while it is still live.
What the leader doesWhen a colleague states their next step, the deputy books the follow-up, evidence and support in both diaries before the conversation closes, keeping a ten-minute evidence check as a fallback when diaries clash.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every coaching start should have a practice test, proportionate evidence and a booked follow-up; by day 60 support commitments should be completed before colleagues test practice; by day 90 follow-ups should lead to keep, adapt or stop decisions.
Priyanka · Computing Lead and Year 4 teacher · 388-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
Capturing curriculum insights each week
The challengeInsights from computing lessons and pupil work sit in different notebooks and disappear, so the computing lead cannot tell isolated impressions from recurring strengths and gaps.
What the leader doesAfter one planned observation or work sample each week, the computing lead records one pattern, its evidence and one curriculum question in a single three-prompt form opened from a home-screen shortcut.
What success looks likeBy day 30 weekly notes should separate pattern, evidence and question; by day 60, after six notes, one curriculum decision should rest on recurring evidence from more than one source; by day 90 colleagues should see the routine as shared inquiry.
Sofia · Headteacher · ages 11 to 18 secondary school, 1,480 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Ending each week with a strategic review
The challengeReactive work carries over from week to week, and a Friday review competes with email, late visitors and the temptation to clear small tasks.
What the leader doesWhen the final Friday appointment ends, the headteacher sets a twenty-minute timer, writes one achievement, one risk and up to three proposed outcomes, then tests them with senior colleagues on Monday.
What success looks likeBy day 30 four weekly reviews should each name no more than three outcomes with decision routes; by day 60 agreed outcomes should have diary time or an owner by Monday; by day 90 recurring unresolved risks and reactive diary changes should reduce.
Una · Assistant Headteacher for staff development · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 1,170 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Planning for transfer in every CPD session
The challengeDevelopment dates are agreed before the intended practice is clear, so sessions are judged by attendance or satisfaction rather than by changes in practice and pupil experience.
What the leader doesWhen a session enters the calendar, the assistant head completes four fields before resources are commissioned: intended practice, first use, proportionate evidence and follow-up owner.
What success looks likeBy day 30 every new proposal should set out need, practice, first use, evidence and owner; by day 60 the half-term review should show credible application without disproportionate workload; by day 90 development lacking need or application should be moved, redesigned or stopped.
Tariq · Head of Year 9 · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 1,040 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Checking in with pupils before problems grow
The challengePriority Year 9 pupils mostly hear from the head of year after an incident, and incidents pull the head of year's attention towards whichever pupil is most visible.
What the leader doesAfter Tuesday and Thursday break duty, the head of year makes one two-minute check-in with the next pupil on a rotating list of up to eight, offering privacy and recording only the agreed next step.
What success looks likeBy day 30 two purposeful contacts should happen each week, with pupils asked at week four whether they help; by day 60 agreed next steps should be completed and barriers supported earlier; by day 90 pupils should find the contact respectful, useful and not surveillance.
Victor · Head of Science · ages 11 to 18 secondary school, 1,350 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Noticing participation in practical science
The challengePractical lessons are judged by whether the experiment was completed, so the most confident pupils can dominate while others are quietly left out.
What the leader doesWhen equipment return begins after one selected practical each week, the head of science reviews four focal pupils' participation and records one design adjustment for the next practical.
What success looks likeBy day 30 four weekly checks should record meaningful contribution for four focal pupils; by day 60 the week-six review should link each pattern to one proportionate test; by day 90 pupil and teacher evidence should show more meaningful participation without tokenism.
Noura · Trust Director of Secondary Education · six-school secondary trust
Worked example at a glance
Reviewing school-level evidence every week
The challengeThe trust dashboard opens on averages and urgent requests crowd out reflection, so variation between the six schools can go unnoticed until it becomes a problem.
What the leader doesWhen Monday's performance briefing ends, the director spends twelve minutes examining one indicator school by school and records one question, one action or a justified decision not to act.
What success looks likeBy day 30 four consecutive weekly reviews should each end in a recorded question, action or reasoned no-action decision; by day 60 headteachers should find central questions better suited to their context; by day 90 no school or priority should be routinely hidden.
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
Atomic Habits – James Clear (2018)
This book strengthens your practice by showing how small, intentional actions compound over time and create lasting behavioural change.
Recommended book
Immunity to Change – Robert Kegan & Lisa Lahey (2009)
This book deepens your understanding by revealing the hidden internal barriers that often undermine habit formation and offering practical tools to overcome them.
References from the Everyone Succeeds book
- Clear, J. (2018) Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. London: Random House Business. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Fogg, B.J. (2020) Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. London: Virgin Books. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Gollwitzer, P.M. (1999) 'Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans', American Psychologist, 54(7), pp. 493–503. Read free ↗
- Gollwitzer, P.M. and Sheeran, P. (2006) 'Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes', Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, pp. 69–119. Read free ↗
- Kegan, R. and Lahey, L.L. (2009) Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press. Buy on Amazon ↗
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