T10. Embracing accountability toolkit
Toolkit
Accountability is not about control; it’s about clarity, consistency, and care. When leaders hold people to account fairly and supportively, they build trust, raise standards, and reinforce the school’s culture. This toolkit helps you think about how accountability works across your team, both for results and behaviours, and where greater consistency, clarity, or follow-up might strengthen impact.
| Clarify what you expect |
| What are the standards, behaviours, and outcomes that matter most? Are these expectations clearly defined and understood by everyone, or are they assumed? Write what accountability should look like in practice across your team, department, or school. Think about how these expectations are reinforced in daily routines and conversations, and how you model them yourself. |
| Review how accountability happens now |
| Reflect on how you currently hold people to account. Are conversations about performance and behaviour clear, calm, and consistent, or reactive and avoided? Consider whether feedback focuses on both results and behaviours. Note where accountability is working well and where there may be drift or inconsistency. |
| Check for consistency |
| Are all staff held to the same standards? Inconsistency erodes trust faster than almost anything else. Record examples where expectations have been applied consistently, and note any instances where the response or follow-up has varied. Consider how you can ensure fairness and predictability in your approach. |
| Build a culture of supportive challenge |
| Accountability should feel developmental, not punitive. Think about how you use language to show belief in people’s potential and commitment to their success. Reflect on how you balance challenge with support. Capture examples of when you have given feedback that has led to growth, and note how you might replicate this across your team. |
| Design your accountability rhythm |
| List the regular touchpoints where accountability happens, for example, 1:1s, line management meetings, department reviews, or informal walk-throughs. Note how each space is used to review progress, reinforce expectations, and provide feedback. Consider where you could strengthen follow-up or make time for earlier intervention. |
| Reflection prompts |
| Do I hold people equally to account for results and behaviours? How consistent am I in my approach? Do my accountability routines balance support and challenge? Where might my reluctance to challenge allow standards to slip? Am I modelling the same accountability I expect from others? |
T10. Embracing accountability: example toolkit
Role: Head of Department
| Clarify what you expect |
| I will restate non-negotiables, show what they look like in practice, and model them daily. |
| Review how accountability happens now |
| I will shift from reactive conversations to a predictable fortnightly check-in structure that balances teaching quality and professional habits. |
| Check for consistency |
| I will apply the same visibility and follow-up to everyone through a standardised rotation of visits, reviews, and moderation. |
| Build a culture of supportive challenge |
| I will frame accountability as care, remove barriers where possible, and share effective tools across the team. |
| Design your accountability rhythm |
| I will use weekly team reviews, regular one-to-ones, informal walkthroughs, and monthly evidence summaries to SLT to keep accountability predictable. |
| Intended Impact |
| Clarity, fairness, and timely feedback will raise performance and trust, making accountability a valued expression of our commitment to excellence. |