Date Published: May 15, 2025
As our team at Satchel HQ continues to grow, I’ve been reflecting on what makes effective school leadership truly impactful. Line management and strategy aren’t just about task completion or performance targets—they’re about cultivating a culture. One where team members feel safe to make mistakes, have the courage to make decisions, and feel empowered to share ideas, take accountability, listen with empathy, and act with integrity.
This reflection takes me back to the early days of my own career. I had just completed my NQT year at Northumberland Park Community School and was stepping into a new challenge as Director of E-learning at Henry Compton School. It was a leap. I wasn’t the most qualified or experienced candidate. I was the youngest in the room and the least seasoned, but I had passion, ideas, and a strong sense of purpose.
The headteacher at the time, Mr Ramjee, made a bold choice. Despite reservations from senior staff and governors, he appointed me. That decision taught me more about leadership than any textbook could. He saw something in me that others didn’t, and more importantly, he acted on it.
Trust, Risk and the Making of a Leader
Leadership often means taking risks on people—not just those who tick every box on paper, but those who bring passion and potential. That’s exactly what my headteacher did. He risked his reputation to give me a chance. That trust lit a fire in me to prove him right.
I quickly found myself responsible for a struggling department. ICT pass rates were in the 20s, the curriculum was uninspiring, and the labs were underused. Learners weren’t trusted with equipment, and there was little enthusiasm for technology.
One of my first actions was to address the learners directly. I ran assemblies to share my vision: a re-energised ICT programme that empowered them. I launched an ICT contract between learners and parents, set up a repair reporting system for staff, and encouraged my IT team to share their work through a weekly newsletter to challenge stereotypes and build trust.
I rewrote the curriculum, introduced lunchtime open lab sessions, and implemented a no-food policy to keep the space professional. These were strategic moves, yes, but also cultural ones. I wanted to establish ICT as an active, engaging, and student-centred subject.
Strategic School Leadership in Action
The transformation wasn’t easy. I was working long hours, managing behaviour challenges, leading a team, and reshaping a subject area—all while still developing as a teacher. There were days when I was overwhelmed and close to quitting. In fact, I even drafted a resignation letter.
What stopped me? The leadership and support of my headteacher.
He didn’t micromanage. He coached. He praised my efforts in public, even when others doubted me. He was honest about what I needed to improve, but always constructive. His expectations were clear, and his door was always open. He reminded me—repeatedly—that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a leader.
Culture Starts With Leadership
The greatest lesson I took from that time is that culture is built from the top down. My head created a culture of high expectations balanced with empathy. He helped me normalise struggle and see challenges as opportunities for growth. When I made mistakes—and I made many—he didn’t let them define me. Instead, he gave me space to learn from them.
In every leadership role I’ve held since, I’ve tried to recreate that culture. One where people feel trusted, supported, and empowered to lead in their own right. It’s a strategy that doesn’t show up on spreadsheets but makes all the difference.
Strong school leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about building the right conditions for your team to thrive. That means knowing when to step in and when to step back. It means recognising that support and challenge go hand in hand. And most of all, it means seeing your role as a guide—not a gatekeeper.
Coaching vs Command
There is a significant difference between commanding a team and coaching one. My head chose the latter. He didn’t just hand me responsibilities; he offered scaffolding. He shared his experiences openly, modelled emotional resilience, and made time for candid conversations. He didn’t pretend everything was perfect, and that honesty made it easier for me to face the tough days.
He also taught me a crucial mindset shift: to expect difficulty. He warned me that every week would have a day where something would feel like it had gone horribly wrong. That realism helped me build mental toughness and avoid burnout.
In schools, especially under pressure, it’s easy to adopt a culture of perfectionism or fear. But what I learned was that a leader who normalises adversity and frames it as part of the journey helps create resilient teams.
Embedding Empathy and Integrity in Strategy
As I reflect on how we structure leadership today—whether in schools or within our own teams at Satchel—I keep coming back to empathy and integrity as cornerstones. We build trust when we listen. We build growth when we guide. And we build sustainable progress when we value people, not just performance.
In school settings, these values translate into real strategies: open-door policies, structured coaching, clear expectations, and visible support. It’s about aligning day-to-day practices with long-term vision. Whether you’re leading a department, a school, or a business unit, the core principles remain the same.
Final Thoughts
True leadership in schools isn’t about control—it’s about capacity-building. It’s about taking risks on people, creating space for creativity, and being there when things don’t go to plan. My headteacher showed me what it looks like to lead with courage and conviction, and that lesson has shaped my entire career.
We all have the opportunity to build a culture where people can grow. It starts with trust. It flourishes with support. And it thrives when leaders lead with empathy, clarity and purpose.
These are the lessons I carry forward—and the ones I hope to pass on to others on their own leadership journey.
