Does a typical day for a school leader even exist?

“Regard crisis as the norm and complexity as fun, while maintaining a bottomless well of intellectual curiosity”. Sir Tim Brighouse 

“Anthrax?”. I asked the lead science technician to repeat again as I slumped down.  “Yes, anthrax. We found it at the back of one of the old chemical store cupboards. It was donated with other chemical plates, and it looks to have been there since the 70s. It is stored correctly and safely but I haven’t disturbed it and I have the number of Public Health England for you to call here”.  

I still shudder thinking back to that unexpected conversation in my study as a newish Head and thank goodness I had the sense to listen and take the right advice at the right moment for the right decision call as it was removed swiftly and safely by the professionals. Thank goodness I had such a strong team to support me, advise me, and work together with me in moments like this and when we faced similar daunting challenges.  

This September, I begin my 30th year in education since I first left York University and started my career at Bootham School in the same ancient city.  I am not quite sure how “notes to my younger self” would read but looking back to 1994 from 2024, I would pass on that every day is different, no matter what the school or role working with children and young people. 

I am still unaware of any course or training that prepares a school leader for the randomness of what can and will occur in your day.  That may require a judgment call, a smile, to just listen or to be a shoulder of support.  They all flow to the principal in a school at some point especially when your deputy runs in and yells at you that wild boars are on the top field chasing the children and we can’t hold the PE lesson.  

The cycle and structure of a school year from day 1 to the last day of the academic year, 35-40 weeks, allows a certain amount of certainty for a school leader, but it is the day to day that can throw more than the odd curveball and it is always good to remember the old Woody Allen joke; “How do you make God laugh? Say you have a plan. How to make God really laugh, say you really have a plan”.  

As a leader going into a school for the very first time, the sage advice always remains the same, listen and learn about the culture, people and organisation.  Do not make whimsical or capricious changes for their own sake but only when you understand the school and what is needed. Or not needed.   

Your “job description” probably won’t say shovel snow when the Siberian winter dumps snow in freezing minus temperatures in November in Moldova, but the front of school needs to be clear so people can walk across the yard into warm classrooms to start learning. Your “job description” probably won’t ask you to prepare evacuation plans for the whole community because of a war approaching your country’s borders, or in the case of schools like the British International School Ukraine, an actual war with bombs falling regularly on your city. Your “job description” will not fully set out that you are the “mayor of a small town” effectively, and everyone wants to speak to you, expecting answers to even the most random questions and issues. And all with a smile, reassurance and oodles of positivity.  

With that ringing in my ears, I stepped into my new Head’s room at my first school, determined I would meet and listen with every single member of staff of a medium-sized school with nearly 150 people directly employed there.  

Nothing prepared me for what followed.  Coming into a school that had been in industrial action against the previous leadership team is never easy.  What I faced needed not only a lot of hope, a clear strategy forward based on a practical plan, but also time and an environment for things to be heard, people to be heard and for a way of moving forward together.  For over three months I spent time listening to what people had to tell me. Often it was very emotional for them, lots of tears flowed and I listened to things I wished I didn’t have to carry in my head home for the day. But it was necessary and I had to go through with this to show that when I said on interview that my door to my room would be open and I would be there for all staff to talk to me and for me to listen, that I followed through on this and didn’t lose the trust needed to be built to improve the school.  

Just over five years ago, I was appointed to help establish the first international school in Moldova, in a society where the Soviet Union had made the deepest impact over decades of existence in every aspect of this new young country at the crossroads of eastern Europe. In May 2019, standing before international and local families and my new colleagues, no one could have predicted the challenges of the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as well as the ongoing destabilisation efforts aimed at Moldova as it moves towards a modern, European future. But we are now a proud authorised and accredited Cambridge, COBIS, British Council, Global School Alliance international school. This August, our second cohort of A Level results went to universities around the World, our 4th cohort of IGCSE students, our largest number of students ever, and making a positive impact working in partnership with the ministry of education and the national education community on the modernisation reform agenda much needed here. Nothing "typical" here at Heritage these years. 

In ten years of leading very different schools both in the UK and internationally, I have learned that building a positive school culture daily, counts for everything.  You don't need to showboat, play "Headteacher cosplay" and don't make promises you cannot keep. You cannot please all the people all the time and daily you will find everyone has an opinion on education because they went to school once. But in education, emotions run high precisely because it is about children. Their children and their futures. You have in your trust a family's most precious asset. In the 2020s, school leaders need acute emotional intelligence and effective communication skills. You do need to be in the arena" daily. You cannot delegate your own leadership. Don’t ignore the wisdom of the past, especially simple but effective things like being on the school gate every day, morning and night, managing the lunch queue, learning names, engaging with parents, governors & external stakeholders, responding not reacting, making moments in the school day to enjoy and keep creating certainty of education in the very uncertain times we live in. You are leading a community, in good times and bad.  This is typical for any school leader.  

There is no silver bullet, panacea or magic wand in my experience, but a good ear, the development of a poker face that doesn’t show your inner thoughts immediately, a commitment to face & resolve issues, all help, often over a cup of tea, if needed. When you lead a school or become part of a leadership team, there is never a dull moment or conversation and there is no typical school day but that is exactly what makes this the best job in the World. A point I would be making to a younger me in York 30 years ago about to start education.