T9. Go Back and Check toolkit
Toolkit
Creating actions is essential, but it’s only the starting point. What separates good leaders from great ones is the discipline of checking back. Follow-up transforms plans into progress and ensures that what was agreed in the meeting room becomes a visible impact in the classroom. This toolkit helps you identify where follow-up is strong, where it breaks down, and how to embed reliable routines that close the loop.
| How do actions get revisited? |
| Look back over the last month of meetings. Where have actions been reviewed? Were they discussed in follow-up meetings, checked in one-to-ones, or tracked through shared documents? Identify which processes are consistent and which rely on memory or goodwill. |
| Is there a predictable rhythm? |
| Consistency builds trust. Note the frequency and reliability of your check-ins. Do colleagues know when their progress will be reviewed? Are there clear routines, weekly, fortnightly, or termly, that everyone can depend on? |
| Do you check for understanding as well as progress? |
| Sometimes tasks stall not because of resistance but because of misunderstanding. Consider whether you verify that everyone knows what success looks like before leaving a meeting. When you check back, do you look for learning and clarity as well as results? |
| Is the tone supportive or transactional? |
| Reflect on how your follow-up conversations feel. Are they moments for accountability and encouragement, or do they feel like inspections? Checking back should build confidence, not anxiety. |
| How well do you track progress? |
| Review any logs, spreadsheets, or project trackers you use. Are updates current? Is ownership visible? What’s working well, and where are things slipping through the cracks? |
| Do small wins get recognised? |
| Momentum builds through recognition. Identify how often you pause to celebrate progress or thank a colleague for completing a task. Is this built into your rhythm, or left to chance? |
| Reflection Prompts |
| How consistently do I close the loop on actions? Where in my leadership do good intentions fail to turn into results? How can I make follow-up feel supportive rather than supervisory? Do my routines make accountability predictable and fair? What gets checked gets done. What might I need to start checking more often? |
T9. Go Back and Check: example toolkit
Role: Deputy Headteacher
| How do actions get revisited? |
| I will require every meeting to begin with a review of previous actions so nothing is left untracked. |
| Is there a predictable rhythm? |
| I will set fortnightly check-ins for curriculum and pastoral leads and share termly summaries at SLT to create a reliable pattern. |
| Do you check for understanding as well as progress? |
| I will write actions with precise success criteria and ask what would make each action clearer or easier to achieve. |
| Is the tone supportive or transactional? |
| I will open with appreciation and shift to coaching questions so accountability feels collaborative. |
| How well do you track progress? |
| I will use a simple shared tracker with owners, deadlines, and review dates, and I will review it in a short standing SLT every fortnight. |
| Do small wins get recognised? |
| I will highlight completed actions in Friday’s briefing to normalise accountability with appreciation. |
| Intended Impact |
| Meetings will gain purpose and momentum. Staff will feel supported and accountable, and what gets checked, gets done will become shared language. |