Services
Areas in which I may be able to assist colleagues, schools, Governors and Trustees.
Appraisals
Experience
As a Head of 19 years’ experience, I have conducted hundreds of appraisals of colleagues. I have also completed HMC Appraisal Training.
My approach
Appraisal of senior staff, including Heads, should not be a bureaucratic, “tick‑box” exercise, but rather a pivotal, developmental tool. In the right hands, it can be a powerful impetus to school improvement and professional growth.
Throughout my career, I have regarded the opportunity to appraise colleagues as a valuable privilege. I have always sought to create a safe environment for open, honest conversations, allowing colleagues to discuss challenges without fear. In this way, I have been able to foster a culture of continuous development in a spirit of mentorship rather than overly critical judgment.
Whilst effective appraisal should be intrinsically supportive, it is important to seek to align the goals of individual colleagues, including leaders, with wider school priorities. A well-executed appraisal process should provide constructive feedback rather than just top-down criticism; if successful, it should enhance morale, support well-being, and help retain leadership talent at a time of significant recruitment challenges. In every appraisal I have led, I have sought to turn potentially daunting performance reviews into meaningful, motivating conversations.
Coaching and mentoring
Experience
19 years of Headship has given me countless opportunities to coach and mentor colleagues. I have completed HMC’s Mentoring training.
My approach
Coaching and mentoring is essential for educational leaders. Too often leaders are appointed and then simply ‘left to get on with it’. 19 years on the Heads’ circuit taught me that a desire to project confidence as a leader can inhibit requests for support and guidance and that, if unchecked, this can lead even highly experienced Heads and senior staff to feel isolated.
In this context, I see coaching and mentoring as encouraging a safe space for reflection, reducing professional isolation, anxiety, and improving retention. I seek to foster a collaborative culture, to bridge theory with practice, and to develop resilient leaders who will feel able to shift their focus and energies from mere operational management to strategic development.
Coaching helps counteract the immense stress, high-stakes accountability, and isolation faced by school leaders, and thus promotes better well-being. It also encourages leaders to engage in critical reflection on their own practices, increasing self-efficacy and resilience. The effectiveness of these relationships hinges on a strong foundation of rapport, trust, and confidentiality, which allows leaders to explore new behaviours and to address challenges without fear of judgmental scrutiny.
Appointments advice
Appointing the right school leader is one of the most crucial investments a group of Governors or Trustees can make. Hiring a new leader is not merely about filling a vacancy; it is about shaping the future of a school. The stakes are high: school leadership is a top-tier driver of school quality and development, directly influencing student achievement, teacher retention, and school culture.
My approach
In advising or leading the appointment process for a senior role or Headship, I would have foremost in my mind the transformational impact which I know the right person can and will have on a school’s results and culture. It is not always about identifying the ‘best candidate’: sometimes what is needed is the right candidate – one whose values and aspirations marry with the ethos and goals of a school and its Governors. The right appointment can rejuvenate a school community, build on existing strengths, and set a clear, sustainable strategic direction. In an era of staff shortages in many subjects and sectors, the right leader can reduce teacher turnover and absenteeism, whereas poor leadership directly causes staff instability, low morale, and school decline.
In advising Governors, I would seek to emphasise values-based leadership, visibility and approachability, emotional intelligence, resilience and adaptability, and a blend of educational vision and operational realism.
The best appointments come from a structured, collaborative, and transparent process, often involving professional recruiters to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. It is better not to appoint than to appoint the wrong person. I would be happy to assist Governors and Trustees in assembling future-focused briefs and job descriptions so that the appointment process is geared not simply to replicate the previous leader’s role, but to be forward-looking, addressing the future needs of the school. Once appointed, I would (with the school’s approval) remain committed to the retention of the right candidate, since high-turnover leadership disrupts school improvement and strategic direction. Forward-thinking schools also use these opportunities to consider succession planning, developing internal talent and creating a pipeline for future leadership, rather than relying solely on external hires.
Experience
As Head I have led the appointment processes of many hundreds of colleagues. I know many of the current generation of serving Heads and many of those aspiring for Headship. I would be well placed to assist Governing Bodies who are keen to have educational experience at the heart of their appointment process in finding the right person to lead their school.