L9. Use the Checklist toolkit
Toolkit
This toolkit helps leaders design and refine checklists that make complex or high-stakes tasks reliable and consistent. A good checklist turns intention into predictable action and frees up mental space for judgment and leadership.
| Define the Task |
| Identify a recurring or high-stakes process where small oversights could cause problems. Decide whether the task follows a timeline (such as a parents’ evening) or is situational (such as a behaviour incident). This will shape how you structure the checklist. |
| List the Critical Steps |
| Capture only the essential actions that must always happen. Keep it short, clear, and in logical order. If the task is time-based, sequence the steps chronologically. If it is reactive, group them by stage, such as before, during, and after the event. |
| Assign Responsibility |
| Identify who owns each step or stage. Include shared or delegated tasks to ensure nothing is left ambiguous. If multiple people are involved, specify who checks completion and when. |
| Test and Refine |
| Trial the checklist with the people who will use it. Gather feedback on clarity, practicality, and order. Refine wording and format until it feels natural and easy to follow in real conditions. |
| Publish and Review |
| Store checklists in an accessible location and revisit them after each use. Remove redundant steps, add new learning, and note any missed actions. Update versions clearly so the latest one is always in use. |
| Reflection Prompts |
| Which recurring processes would most benefit from a checklist? How will I ensure staff understand that checklists support good judgment rather than replace it? When will I next review the checklists we already use? |
L9. Use the Checklist: example toolkit
Role: Deputy Headteacher
| Define the Task |
| I chose to create a checklist for organising parents’ evening. Although it happens termly, each event involves multiple moving parts, such as, room allocations, appointment systems, IT setup, refreshments, and follow-up communications. Small details had been slipping through the cracks, leading to unnecessary stress on the day. By defining this as a repeatable process, I could make reliability routine rather than dependent on memory or goodwill. |
| List the Critical Steps |
| I broke the event into three stages: before, during, and after. For the “before” stage, the key steps included confirming the booking system, allocating rooms, printing timetables, and communicating expectations to staff. The “during” stage covered welcoming families, managing timing, and ensuring staff breaks were scheduled. The “after” stage involved follow-up communications, parent feedback, and a debrief with staff. Keeping it concise meant people could actually use it rather than ignore it. |
| Assign Responsibility |
| Each step was assigned an owner. The admin team handled rooming and logistics, the pastoral leads managed staff briefings, and I oversaw communications and follow-up. Including names rather than teams made accountability clearer. A single person (me) checked that each stage had been completed before moving to the next, reducing last-minute surprises. |
| Test and Refine |
| I trialled the checklist with our pastoral and admin teams for the autumn term event. Afterward, I asked for quick feedback. They suggested adding a line about testing the guest Wi-Fi in advance (which we’d once forgotten) and simplifying the sign-in procedure. We made small adjustments and finalised the format so that it could be reused easily by anyone leading in future. |
| Publish and Review |
| The final version is now stored in our shared drive under “Key Events,” with a short debrief after each use. Each term, I ask the organising team to record what worked and what needs revising. The checklist has already saved time and reduced stress, and new staff have found it particularly helpful. |
| Reflection Prompts |
| This process has reinforced how structure supports calm. Having a checklist does not mean thinking less; it means freeing up space to notice what really matters. My next step is to build similar checklists for safeguarding audits and curriculum reviews so consistency becomes part of our school’s DNA. |