Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Headship After Hours
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
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| Headship Is Not a Time Problem — It’s an Energy Problem | 10 Apr 2026 | 00:09:47 | |
Headship is not a time problem — it is an energy problem. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why many school leaders feel constantly overwhelmed, despite trying to manage their time more efficiently. Leadership is not just about tasks — it is about emotional presence. Every conversation, decision and challenge draws from the same resource: energy. This episode explores the energy economy of headship and the three biggest drains on leadership capacity: unstructured decision-making, emotional containment and reactive leadership. We discuss how leaders can protect, invest and restore their energy, why efficiency does not create sustainability, and how leadership energy becomes a signal that shapes culture across staff and students. Sustainable headship is not about doing more. Timestamps 00:00 – Headship Is an Energy Problem | |||
| The School Didn’t Change First — I Did | 04 Apr 2026 | 00:08:35 | |
The school didn’t change first — the leader did. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers in complex school contexts. It begins with a short assessment and, if eligible, leads to a structured strategic review including an on-site visit, executive reporting, and a clear 90-day plan. Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore how leadership posture shapes school culture, especially in challenging environments where progress feels fragile. When behaviour rises, attendance plateaus and staff morale dips, leaders often respond with urgency, pressure and increased control. But reactive leadership can unintentionally destabilise culture. This episode explores three key leadership shifts: visibility, clarity and consistency. Not as strategies, but as signals that shape trust, stability and momentum. We discuss why calm authority is more powerful than constant intervention, how simplifying priorities reduces noise, and why consistency builds confidence across staff and students. Sustainable headship is not about doing more — it is about showing up differently. Culture stabilises when leaders are stable. Timestamps 00:00 – The School Didn’t Change First | |||
| The 5 Signals That Are Shaping Your School Culture | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:08:39 | |
School culture is shaped less by policies and more by leadership signals. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore the five signals every headteacher sends daily — often unintentionally — and how those signals shape school culture in UK schools. From modelling urgency and responding to mistakes, to what you tolerate, regulate and prioritise, small leadership behaviours compound over time. Sustainable headship is not just about strategy. It’s about awareness. If you are leading a UK school and want to build a stronger, calmer, more deliberate culture, this episode will help you examine the signals you are sending every day. What you amplify becomes culture. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin 00:00 – How Leaders Signal Urgency in Headship | |||
| Pressure Is Inevitable. Panic Is Leadership. | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:07:09 | |
Pressure is part of headship — panic is not. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore the difference between pressure and panic in school leadership and why calm authority is one of the most powerful tools a headteacher can develop. Sustainable headship does not remove inspection pressure, attendance demands or safeguarding complexity. Instead, it regulates response. Calm leaders absorb pressure without spreading it. We discuss presence, emotional regulation, leadership tone, and how your internal state shapes school culture. If you are leading a UK school and feeling the weight of system pressure, this episode will help you strengthen your presence without escalating panic. Strong leadership is not loud. It is steady. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin 00:00 – The Difference Between Pressure and Panic | |||
| Compliance Is Not Commitment in Headship | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:08:01 | |
Headship becomes fragile when everything depends on you. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why compliance in senior leadership teams is not the same as commitment — and how sustainable headship depends on building strength, ownership and psychological safety at the top. Many UK headteachers unintentionally build fragile systems by becoming the centre of every decision. But strong senior leadership teams distribute accountability, challenge respectfully and build real capacity. We discuss hiring for strength over loyalty, making ownership visible, and creating psychological safety in school leadership. Sustainable headship is not about being indispensable. It’s about building a system that works without you. If you’re leading a UK school and feeling the weight of carrying everything, this episode is for you. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin 00:00 – Why Compliance Isn’t Commitment in Headship | |||
| What You Recognise Becomes Your School Culture | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:07:13 | |
School culture isn’t built through policies — it’s built through recognition. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore how headship shapes school culture through what leaders choose to notice, reinforce and amplify. Recognition in schools is not about awards assemblies or surface praise. It is about attention. What you recognise, you reinforce. What you reinforce, you multiply. From attendance improvement and behaviour change to staff morale and retention, sustainable headship depends on deliberate, consistent recognition. If you are leading a UK school and want to strengthen culture without launching another initiative, this episode is for you. Leadership is always signalling something. The question is — what are you signalling? I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin 00:00 – How Headship Signals School Culture | |||
| Exhausted Leaders Create Exhausted Schools | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:08:11 | |
Headship sets the emotional climate of a school. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore how school culture reflects the internal state of its leader. If a headteacher is frantic, defensive or exhausted, the building feels it. If leadership is steady, clear and consistent, the school follows. Through a practical story of sustainable headship, we discuss how to stop being the hero, increase clarity in leadership communication, reduce decision fatigue, and protect energy in UK schools. Strong headship is not loud. It is consistently steady. If you are navigating school leadership in the UK and want to build a calmer, more sustainable culture, this conversation is for you. timestamps 00:00 – Headship and the Emotional Climate of a School seo - headship UK, school culture leadership, headteacher leadership UK, sustainable headship, emotional climate school, UK headteacher wellbeing, school leadership UK, decision fatigue leadership, leadership clarity schools, building school culture, headteacher burnout UK, steady leadership, sustainable school leadership, leading a UK school, MAT leadership UK | |||
| Headship Shouldn’t Feel Like Survival | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:07:34 | |
Headship can feel reactive, overwhelming and unsustainable — but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore how UK headteachers can redesign their week intentionally rather than letting emails, meetings and urgent demands dictate their time. Sustainable headship requires structure, delegation, protected thinking time and clear priorities. If you are navigating school leadership in the UK and feeling stretched by constant meetings and reactive firefighting, this practical episode is for you. We discuss time blocking, meeting redesign, leadership delegation, cognitive load, and how small structural changes can reduce burnout in headship. 00:00 – Why Headship Feels Unsustainable If you’re a head or trust leader and this resonates, don’t guess where to start. Claim Your £500 Advantage in Senior Attendance & Leadership Take the 5‑minute Senior Attendance & Leadership Diagnostic and see whether your biggest leverage is culture, systems, leadership or families – plus get a short debrief from me. Apply here - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin | |||
| Why the Old Model of Headship Doesn’t Work Anymore | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:07:04 | |
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| The Reality of Headship: Why It Feels So Isolating | 12 Feb 2026 | 00:06:15 | |
Headship in the UK can quietly shrink your circle. In this episode, we explore the loneliness of headship, the emotional distance that comes with being a headteacher, and the reality of carrying decisions you cannot always explain. If you’re a head or trust leader and this resonates, don’t guess where to start. Claim Your £500 Advantage in Senior Attendance & Leadership Take the 5‑minute Senior Attendance & Leadership Diagnostic and see whether your biggest leverage is culture, systems, leadership or families – plus get a short debrief from me. Apply here - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin Modern headship often creates separation — between what you can say and what you cannot, between collaboration and final responsibility. Many UK headteachers experience isolation not because they lack support, but because the role demands discretion and emotional restraint. We discuss why sustainable headship requires trusted networks, reflection, and permission to speak honestly. Strong leaders do not cope alone — and headship should not be carried in silence. If you are navigating headship in a UK school and feeling the weight of leadership, this conversation is for you. This is Headship After Hours — honest reflections on school leadership in the UK. | |||
| The Loneliness of Headship: What UK Headteachers Don’t Say | 12 Feb 2026 | 00:08:27 | |
Headship in UK schools can be deeply isolating. In this episode, we explore the loneliness of headship, the emotional labour headteachers carry, and the pressure that comes from Ofsted, parental complaints, staffing issues and system demands. Modern headship often means responsibility without full control. From attendance pressures to safeguarding conversations, this honest reflection speaks directly to UK headteachers navigating the reality of school leadership today. If headship has felt heavier than expected, you are not alone. If you’re a head or trust leader and this resonates, don’t guess where to start. Claim Your £500 Advantage in Senior Attendance & Leadership Take the 5‑minute Senior Attendance & Leadership Diagnostic and see whether your biggest leverage is culture, systems, leadership or families – plus get a short debrief from me. Apply here - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin seo
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| When Everything Feels Like It’s Slipping in Headship | 26 Mar 2026 | 00:08:35 | |
There are moments in headship when everything feels like it is slipping — behaviour, attendance, staff morale and momentum. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore what leadership looks like when progress feels fragile and doubt begins to surface. In complex schools, improvement is rarely linear. When pressure rises, leaders often feel the need to tighten control, react faster and push harder. But pressure without calm destabilises culture. This episode explores why composure matters more than control, how leadership tone shapes emotional climate, and why stability compounds when leaders remain steady. Through a real leadership moment, we discuss visibility, clarity, staff morale and how small shifts in leadership posture can restore momentum. Sustainable headship is not about eliminating pressure — it is about how you respond when everything feels uncertain. Leadership requires composure, not control. Timestamps 00:00 – When Headship Feels Like It’s Slipping | |||
| Schools Are Not CAMHS | 20 Mar 2026 | 00:10:06 | |
Schools are not CAMHS — and expecting them to operate like clinical services is exhausting staff and diluting the core purpose of education. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore the growing pressure on schools to absorb responsibilities they were never designed to hold, especially around student mental health and specialist intervention. We discuss the difference between support and replacement, why compassion without boundaries leads to institutional exhaustion, and how school leaders can protect staff capacity while still serving students with care and clarity. This episode explores three truths school leaders must hold together: schools play a crucial role in mental health support, schools cannot replace specialist services, and leadership requires clear boundaries. Sustainable headship means leading with compassion, but also with alignment, referral clarity and realistic system awareness. 00:00 – Schools Are Not CAMHS | |||
| Why Attendance Problems Are Actually Culture Problems | 13 Mar 2026 | 00:09:07 | |
Attendance is not just a system issue — it is a leadership identity issue. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why attendance challenges in schools are often rooted not only in policy or systems but in leadership culture and belonging. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ Attendance is frequently framed through data, thresholds and escalation processes. Yet students and families respond less to spreadsheets and more to meaning, relationships and trust. When attendance conversations feel punitive, attendance becomes a battle. When attendance conversations feel relational, attendance becomes shared responsibility. In this episode we explore three leadership shifts that strengthen attendance culture: reframing the narrative from enforcement to presence, making belonging visible across the school community, and aligning leadership signals so that tone, relationships and expectations reinforce one another. Attendance improves when culture improves — and culture begins with leadership. 00:00 – Attendance Is a Leadership Identity Issue | |||
| High Performers in Headship: The Isolation Nobody Talks About | 07 Mar 2026 | 00:10:31 | |
High-performing leaders often feel the most isolated — not because they lack people, but because everyone assumes they are fine. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore the hidden paradox of leadership strength: the stronger and more composed a headteacher appears, the fewer spaces they are offered to process what leadership actually costs. From staffing restructures and difficult decisions to the emotional discipline required to regulate a school community, leaders often carry internal processing that remains invisible. We discuss the difference between coping and processing, the risks of emotional compression, and why high-performing leaders must intentionally design support around themselves. Sustainable headship is not about carrying everything silently. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ 00:00 – Why High Performers Often Feel Isolated | |||
| Leadership Quietly Reduces Your Safe Circle | 06 Mar 2026 | 00:08:35 | |
Headship carries a burden that is rarely spoken about — the weight of what cannot be shared. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore the confidential burden of school leadership and why headship can quietly narrow a leader’s circle of safe equals. From safeguarding conversations and sensitive restructuring discussions to parental escalations and legal constraints, headteachers often carry information that cannot be passed on. Over time, this emotional compartmentalisation creates an internal weight that many leaders process alone. In this episode we discuss three practical protections: building a deliberate peer network, separating confidentiality from isolation, and creating structured decompression after high-emotion leadership moments. Headship may be solitary at times — but it should never become isolating. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ 00:00 – Leadership Reduces Your Safe Equals | |||
| The Biggest Threat to Headship Isn’t Pressure | 27 Feb 2026 | 00:08:25 | |
The biggest threat to headship isn’t pressure — it’s disconnection. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore leadership drift — the subtle moment when purpose fades, confidence wavers, and headship becomes mechanical rather than meaningful. Many UK headteachers prepare for pressure: inspection pressure, budget pressure, attendance pressure, parental escalation. But few talk about the slow drift that happens when identity diffuses and leadership becomes performance rather than alignment. We discuss core values, leadership identity, alignment, purpose, and how sustainable headship requires periodic realignment. If you are leading a UK school and feel competent but disconnected, this episode will help you pause, realign and reconnect to why you chose this vocation in the first place. Leadership is not just a role you carry. It is a vocation you inhabit. 00:00 – The Biggest Threat to Headship | |||
| Stop Measuring Yourself by Exhaustion | 26 Feb 2026 | 00:08:01 | |
If your workload in headship feels unsustainable, it does not automatically mean you are failing. It may mean the structure is. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why headteachers often internalise pressure that is actually systemic. From safeguarding and parental escalation to budget reviews and attendance panels, school leadership can create constant cognitive switching and emotional strain. We discuss three practical shifts: Sustainable headship requires structural design, not personal endurance. If you are leading a UK school and feeling stretched beyond capacity, this episode will help you separate what is structural from what is self-imposed. Leadership is demanding. It should not require self-erasure. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Stop Measuring Yourself by Output Volume | |||
| Imposter Syndrome in Headship: Stop Performing Leadership | 19 Feb 2026 | 00:08:52 | |
Imposter syndrome in headship often comes from trying to perform leadership rather than inhabit it. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why confidence in school leadership wavers — and why trying to be everything to everybody fragments authority. Sustainable headship is not about copying another leadership style or meeting every expectation. It’s about alignment. We discuss authenticity in leadership, values clarity, confidence under pressure, and why you don’t need to satisfy everyone to lead well. If you are a UK headteacher navigating doubt, pressure, and conflicting expectations, this episode will help you return to clarity and identity. Leadership is not a costume. It’s alignment. I am currently offering a funded £700 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers carrying attendance pressure. It begins with a short assessment and leads to a private strategy session. Apply now - https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin | |||
| Control vs Authority: The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything | 24 Apr 2026 | 00:09:19 | |
Control solves the moment — authority sustains the culture. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the most important distinctions in school leadership: the difference between control and authority. While control can create immediate compliance, it relies on presence and short-term intervention. Authority, however, is built through consistency, clarity and follow-through — and it shapes behaviour over time. This episode breaks down three critical leadership distinctions: We explore why over-reliance on control creates fragile systems, how authority builds sustainable culture, and why consistent leadership matters more than reactive intervention. Sustainable headship is not about controlling every moment. Timestamps 00:00 – Control vs Authority in Leadership | |||
| When Staff Confidence Drops, Everything Gets Harder | 17 Apr 2026 | 00:09:15 | |
You can feel it before anyone says it — staff confidence has shifted. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the most underestimated indicators in school leadership: staff confidence. When confidence drops, expectations soften, consistency drifts and culture begins to loosen. And importantly, this rarely happens suddenly — it erodes gradually through uncertainty, pressure and accumulated challenges. This episode explores three critical leadership moves to rebuild confidence: re-establishing clarity, increasing visible support, and naming the moment honestly. We discuss why pressure does not restore confidence, how leadership tone shapes belief across staff, and why confidence is rebuilt through certainty, not complexity. Sustainable headship is not about pushing harder. Confidence doesn’t grow through pressure — it grows through clarity and support. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Headship Is an Energy Problem #Headship#SchoolLeadership#Leadership | |||
| Mary Myatt: What Schools Still Get Wrong with KS3 Transition. | 01 May 2026 | 00:38:40 | |
In this exclusive episode of Headship After Hours, I’m joined by Mary Myatt — one of the most influential voices in curriculum, leadership and school improvement. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ We explore why Key Stage 3 has been described as “the wasted years”, how curriculum coherence breaks down between primary and secondary, and what schools can do to build more ambitious, meaningful learning experiences. Mary shares insights on high challenge, low threat, simplifying classroom practice, and why education does not need more complexity — it needs clarity. We also discuss leadership, professional culture, and how schools can focus on what truly adds value to learning. This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation for school leaders, teachers and anyone interested in curriculum design. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on headship, leadership and school improvement. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Mary Myatt | |||
| Behaviour and Attendance Follow Adult Behaviour | 12 Jun 2026 | 00:09:11 | |
Behaviour and attendance are not separate problems. They are reflections of adult practice. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why behaviour and attendance improvement starts with consistency, relationships and leadership. Across UK schools, leaders face increasing pressure to improve behaviour and attendance. While systems, policies and processes matter, sustainable improvement happens when adult responses become calm, consistent and predictable. This episode explores three key shifts: • Consistency is the foundation We discuss the influence of relational practice, the importance of strong pastoral systems, SEND leadership, multi-agency collaboration and why students respond to environments that feel safe, fair and predictable. Sustainable improvement is not built through stronger sanctions alone. It is built through consistent adult behaviour and strong relationships. Timestamps 00:00 – Behaviour and Attendance Start With Adults | |||
| Work-Life Balance Is Lying to Headteachers | 05 Jun 2026 | 00:08:51 | |
Work-life balance sounds good in theory. But for most headteachers, it doesn't feel real. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the biggest myths in school leadership: the idea that headship can be neatly balanced. Leadership at this level follows you home. Difficult decisions, safeguarding concerns, staffing challenges and accountability pressures rarely stop when the school day ends. This episode explores why sustainable headship is a better goal than work-life balance and the three shifts that help leaders remain effective over the long term: • Integration over separation We discuss leadership sustainability, wellbeing, burnout prevention and why the strongest leaders are not always available — they are consistently effective. Sustainable leadership is not about perfect balance. It is about remaining effective without losing yourself. Timestamps 00:00 – Why Work-Life Balance Feels Impossible | |||
| Ross McGill on Teacher Workload, Leadership & What Schools Still Get Wrong | 29 May 2026 | 00:32:12 | |
In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul speaks with Ross McGill — teacher, former deputy headteacher, founder of Teacher Toolkit and one of the most influential voices in education. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ Together, they explore: Ross reflects on his journey through leadership, social media, CPD and educational research — and why relationships remain at the centre of effective school leadership. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for headteachers, senior leaders and educators navigating the realities of modern education. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on school leadership, culture and sustainable headship. Timestamps 00:00 – Leadership, Relationships & School Culture | |||
| Rowena Hicks: Why School Staff Burn Out | 22 May 2026 | 00:40:11 | |
In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul speaks with Rowena Hicks about burnout, workload, staff wellbeing and what it really means for educators to feel seen, heard and valued. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ Rowena reflects on more than 30 years in education, from teaching in challenging contexts to becoming a SENCO, deputy head, coach and wellbeing advocate. She shares openly about her own experience of burnout and why school leaders must pay attention not only to workload, but to identity, validation and emotional sustainability. This conversation explores how leaders can reduce unnecessary workload, listen properly to staff, take meaningful action, and build cultures where people notice what is going well — not only what is going wrong. For headteachers and school leaders, this episode asks a powerful question: Has your role become your identity? 00:00 – Why Staff Need to Feel Seen and Heard | |||
| Attendance Doesn’t Improve Through Systems Alone | 16 May 2026 | 00:08:56 | |
Attendance doesn’t improve because of a new policy — it improves when the experience of school changes. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we go deeper into what actually shifts attendance in real schools with complex communities. Across UK schools, leaders are under increasing pressure to improve attendance through systems, tracking and intervention. But sustainable attendance improvement rarely comes through systems alone. This episode explores three key shifts that improve attendance over time: We discuss why students respond to experience more than policy, how consistency creates emotional safety, and why belonging is one of the strongest attendance strategies schools often overlook. Sustainable attendance is not built through pressure alone. Timestamps 00:00 – Attendance Follows School Experience | |||
| Attendance Is a Connection Problem, Not a Compliance Problem | 09 May 2026 | 00:08:40 | |
Attendance is not just about showing up — it’s about wanting to show up. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore why many school attendance strategies fail to create lasting change, despite increased tracking, monitoring and intervention systems. Across UK schools, attendance pressure is rising. But in many cases, attendance is being treated primarily as a compliance issue when, for many students, it is actually a connection issue. This episode explores the difference between enforcement and belonging, why culture shapes attendance more than systems alone, and how relational practice, visible leadership and consistency influence student engagement. We discuss trauma-informed thinking, emotional safety, student experience and why attendance improves when students feel connected to school. Sustainable attendance improvement is not built through pressure alone. | |||
| The School Always Knows | 19 Jun 2026 | 00:11:39 | |
Before attendance drops, before behaviour shifts, before staff morale declines, the school already knows. I am currently offering a funded £1,000 Senior Attendance & Leadership Review for headteachers navigating attendance pressure. It begins with a short strategic assessment. If eligible, this leads to a full review process including: • On-site school visit Apply now – https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the most overlooked aspects of school leadership: emotional climate. Schools are highly sensitive environments. Students, staff and families respond not only to systems and policies, but to leadership presence, consistency and emotional regulation. This episode explores why leadership is not just strategic — it is atmospheric. We discuss: • How schools absorb leadership emotionally Sustainable school improvement is not just about systems. It is about creating a culture where trust, stability and emotional consistency can thrive. Timestamps 00:00 – Before the School Tells You, It Knows | |||
| Steve Willshaw: What Secondary Schools Miss About Reading | 26 Jun 2026 | 00:48:13 | |
What do schools really know about their readers? In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul is joined by Steve Willshaw to explore reading culture, literacy leadership, school transition and the importance of recognising the rich reading histories that pupils bring with them into secondary education. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode, Steve shares the story behind the nationally recognised Rooted in Reading project and explains why reading passports, transition work and intellectual equity matter more than ever in today's schools. Together, they discuss how schools can create stronger reading cultures, support literacy development and ensure that young people are not treated as blank slates when they move between phases of education. The conversation also explores Steve's four leadership pillars: • Radical Simplicity Alongside a deep dive into Functional Fluency, coaching, behaviour, relationships and how educators can move from reacting to responding. This episode is for headteachers, literacy leaders, English teachers, curriculum leaders and anyone passionate about reading, equity and school improvement. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, culture, attendance, behaviour and sustainable school improvement. 00:00 – The Reading Histories Schools Miss #HeadshipAfterHours #Literacy #SchoolLeadership #ReadingForPleasure #EducationPodcast #SchoolImprovement #Curriculum #ReadingCulture #Transition #SteveWillshaw | |||
| Pressure Doesn't Break Schools. It Changes Leaders. | 03 Jul 2026 | 00:12:55 | |
Pressure rarely arrives dramatically. It accumulates quietly. In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the most overlooked realities of school leadership: pressure changes leaders long before it changes schools. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ As accountability, attendance, behaviour, staffing and parental expectations continue to increase, many leaders unknowingly shift from reflective to reactive leadership. Over time, that pressure changes relationships, decision-making, emotional regulation and ultimately the culture of the school. In this episode, we explore: • Why leadership pressure quietly reshapes school culture Schools don't simply respond to strategy. They respond to emotional climate. This episode is for headteachers, senior leaders and trust leaders who want to lead sustainably while protecting both themselves and the cultures they are building. Timestamps 00:00 – Pressure Changes the Leader First | |||
| The Monday Morning Attendance Trap | 10 Jul 2026 | 00:11:31 | |
Why does opening the attendance dashboard on a Monday morning feel like a verdict rather than information? Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore the emotional weight many school leaders attach to attendance data and why a single percentage point can influence confidence, decision-making and school culture. Attendance matters deeply. But leaders are often held accountable for outcomes they can influence, not fully control. That tension creates pressure, encourages reactive leadership and can lead schools to chase weekly fluctuations instead of long-term improvement. This episode explores:
The strongest attendance leaders don't ignore the numbers. They learn to read them with clarity, proportion and confidence. Timestamos 00:00 – Why Monday Morning Attendance Feels Like Judgment | |||
| Schools Remember How Leadership Feels | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:10:52 | |
School culture isn't created by a vision statement. It's created by how leadership feels every day. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the biggest misconceptions in education: that culture can be launched through policies, values or strategic plans. Real culture is built much more quietly. It develops through repeated leadership behaviours, emotional consistency, psychological safety and the thousands of small interactions that shape how staff and pupils experience school each day. In this episode we discuss:
Schools don't remember what leadership intended. They remember what leadership repeatedly felt like. Timestamps: 00:00 – Why Schools Don't Build Culture Through Posters | |||
| A Few Families Can Shape Your Attendance Data | 31 Jul 2026 | 00:11:20 | |
Sometimes a small number of families shape a large part of your school's attendance picture. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, we explore one of the most emotionally demanding realities of attendance leadership: how a handful of complex cases can disproportionately affect your school's overall attendance figure. When leaders respond with generic attendance strategies to deeply individual circumstances, progress often stalls. Trauma, mental health, SEND, housing instability, family breakdown and trust all influence attendance in ways that spreadsheets alone cannot explain. In this episode we discuss:
Attendance is never just about numbers. It is about people, relationships and trust. 00:00 – When a Few Families Shape Your Attendance | |||
| The Part of Headship Nobody Prepares You For | 14 Aug 2026 | 00:11:25 | |
Nobody prepares you for the emotional switching required in headship. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin explores the hidden emotional labour of being a headteacher — moving from deeply personal or confidential conversations straight into assemblies, meetings, difficult decisions and moments of celebration. The school doesn't pause while its headteacher processes what they've just heard. Paul explores the emotional weight created by safeguarding concerns, staff conversations, parental situations and the confidential information school leaders are often required to carry without being able to openly share it. This episode explores: • The emotional labour of headship Headship needs humanity. The goal isn't to stop caring. It's learning how to care without disappearing under everything you carry. 00:00 – Nobody Warns You About This Part of Headship | |||
| Jack Mallaby: Stop Making Pupils Fit the System | 07 Aug 2026 | 00:35:41 | |
In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin is joined by Jack Mallaby, assistant headteacher and SENCO, for an honest conversation about SEND, neurodiversity, emotionally based school avoidance and attendance. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ Jack reflects on his own experiences of ADHD and dyslexia, his journey from mainstream education into specialist provision, and why inclusion must sit at the centre of school culture rather than being treated as an additional intervention. Together, they explore why many neurodiverse pupils experience anxiety around school, how educational trauma can shape attendance, and why relationships with young people and families are essential when attendance becomes fragile. This episode discusses:
Jack’s central message is clear: It should not be about making young people fit the system. It should be about making the system work for them. 00:00 – Educational Trauma and School Avoidance | |||
| How Great Headteachers Build School Culture | 21 Aug 2026 | 01:34:05 | |
What really changes a school? After more than 26 years in education, including 10 years as a headteacher, Paul Collin reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped his career and why sustainable school improvement always begins with people. Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance. The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works. That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools. It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools. Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/ In this conversation, Paul discusses school culture, leadership, behaviour, attendance, relationships, teacher development, school improvement and why young people thrive when they feel genuinely valued. The discussion explores: • Why culture matters more than quick fixes Whether you're a headteacher, teacher, trust leader or aspiring leader, this conversation offers practical insights into building schools where both staff and pupils thrive. 00:00 – Why School Culture Changes Everything | |||
| When Mainstream School Isn’t Working | Hugh Viney | 28 Aug 2026 | 00:42:18 | |
What happens when a young person wants to learn — but the traditional school environment simply isn't working for them? In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin is joined by Hugh Viney, founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA), to explore online and hybrid education, school attendance, SEND, emotionally based school avoidance and what happens when we begin designing education around the needs of the child. Hugh shares the story behind Minerva Virtual Academy and why growing numbers of families began looking for alternatives when their children were struggling with anxiety, neurodivergence or the demands of mainstream education. The conversation explores:
Hugh also challenges one of the biggest assumptions surrounding virtual education: that learning online automatically means less community, fewer friendships and weaker outcomes. For some young people, he argues, removing barriers associated with the physical environment can actually allow them to engage, build relationships and rediscover confidence in learning. About Minerva Virtual Academy This episode is supported by Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA), a DfE-accredited online school working with young people for whom traditional school attendance may not currently be working. MVA works with families, schools and local authorities to provide an online educational pathway, including live teaching, independent learning, mentoring and pastoral support. For school leaders considering alternative or complementary provision for a young person, further information about Minerva Virtual Academy can be found at: Minerva Virtual Academy: www.minervavirtual.com About Hugh Viney Hugh Viney is the founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy. After founding Minerva Tutors, Hugh launched MVA in 2021 as an alternative educational model for young people who may not thrive within traditional mainstream schooling. In this conversation, Hugh shares his perspective on the future of virtual and hybrid education and why he believes alternative models should increasingly be viewed as a genuine educational choice rather than simply a last resort. Connect with Hugh Viney on LinkedIn. 🎧 Headship After Hours — honest conversations about the realities of school leadership, education and building better systems for young people. 00:00 – Why Some Children Thrive Outside Mainstream School | |||