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SouthGlosHead

@southgloshead

Executive Headteacher. Head of Inclusion for Leaf Trust. Blog a bit. Author: Headteachering (published with Bloomsbury in Oct). Occasional speaker. Was Ultra Runner, now (bionic) cyclist.

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13.08.2024
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Latest posts by SouthGlosHead @southgloshead

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Top tips on managing a new OFSTED inspection After seven years of waiting, OFSTED finally inspected Blackhorse Primary on 25th November – the final week of the ‘early volunteer’ group of schools who had put themselves forwar…

NEW BLOG: Our OFSTED top tips! headteachering.uk/2026/01/01/h...

02.01.2026 12:34 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Still available for Christmas from Santa… or Amazon… amzn.eu/d/0BmEWrj

15.12.2025 20:28 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Headteachering: A practical guide...with the messy bits left in Buy Headteachering: A practical guide...with the messy bits left in by Simon Botten (ISBN: 9781801997089) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

Currently ‘Best Seller on Amazon’ (albeit for School Governance)! The ideal gift for the current and aspiring school leaders in your life! www.amazon.co.uk/Headteacheri...

10.12.2025 22:38 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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What we learned about OFSTED (Part 1) Credit: The Times Reflections on the new inspection framework: 1742 days under the lottery finger My school and I have spent 1742 days in the OFSTED window (our last inspection was Feb 2018). 1742 …

NEW BLOG: OFSTED REFLECTIONS.
Trying to be even handed: southgloshead.wordpress.com/2025/11/28/w...

29.11.2025 08:59 👍 8 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
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What we learned about OFSTED (Part 1) Credit: The Times Reflections on the new inspection framework: 1742 days under the lottery finger My school and I have spent 1742 days in the OFSTED window (our last inspection was Feb 2018). 1742 …

NEW BLOG: OFSTED REFLECTIONS.
Trying to be even handed: southgloshead.wordpress.com/2025/11/28/w...

29.11.2025 08:59 👍 8 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0

Done!☑️

28.10.2025 20:03 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Good to see Blackhorse’s DHT ‘on brand’ with her reading whilst out and about in New York! @bloomsburyed.bsky.social

26.10.2025 13:14 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Two questions every school leader should be able to answer:
1. Why does my school exist?
2. How easy is it to be a good teacher at this school?
@bloomsburyed.bsky.social

25.10.2025 20:06 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has bought #HEADTEACHERING so far! More here from my Gen Z Social Media Marketing manager…

21.10.2025 19:50 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Been knocked off the top of the ‘School Governance’ chart by a much younger and much more handsome DHT’s new book. I feel like Cliff Richard having ‘Saviours Day’ knocked off #1 by Wham! And who buys a hard copy of the OFSTED framework?? That’s like been done over by Status Quo!!

18.10.2025 17:45 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"..So hard as some days will be, remember that what you do matters deeply to our society. And then get on making your moment leading your school community sun shine brightly." Advice for school leaders, @southgloshead.bsky.social in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach... @bloomsburyed.bsky.social 2/2

14.10.2025 15:55 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

Releasing the last set of posts from @southgloshead.bsky.social's new book today: 'Headteachering - A practical guide...with the mess bits left in', from @bloomsburyed.bsky.social www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach...
Hope those who have read them have found the advice & insights interesting & useful.

14.10.2025 15:39 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

Huge thanks to Jill who had kindly (and voluntarily 😂) been bigging up the book over the last couple of weeks!

14.10.2025 18:23 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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"I absolutely love my job. It is the best job in the world. The relentless demands of the role are exciting… but they can also be all-consuming. So if you want to be doing the job happily, for many, many years, as I have, then you need to take your wellbeing seriously." @southgloshead.bsky.social 👇

13.10.2025 16:19 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"..issue which has no good solution, only the least-worst one. So, as headteacher, you need to cultivate this relationship as you will rely upon it more than you think." @southgloshead.bsky.social is really good on governance, in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach..., @bloomsburyed.bsky.social 2/2

12.10.2025 09:10 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"..Governors offer a vital alternative perspective and are grounded in the communities which we seek to serve." @southgloshead.bsky.social in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach..., out now from @bloomsburyed.bsky.social 2/2

11.10.2025 15:49 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"..So when it comes to having to make that difficult phone-call, there is at least some trust and good will to draw upon." @southgloshead.bsky.social in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach..., @bloomsburyed.bsky.social 2/2

10.10.2025 15:20 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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"We as leaders need to know the mood in camp. Whether morale is good, bad or indifferent, unless we have access to this information we are forever working in the dark. So knowing this information is key to an effective & happy staff team" @southgloshead.bsky.social www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach...

10.10.2025 15:08 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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"I am increasingly of the opinion that the most dangerous moment for any successful school is the year after a successful Ofsted inspection. I am also of the opinion that the second most dangerous moment for any successful school is following a run of good results." @southgloshead.bsky.social 👇

08.10.2025 16:01 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"If you are flying high on great results then long may it continue.
But keep your feet on the ground." @southgloshead.bsky.social in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach..., out from @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social TOMORROW!

08.10.2025 16:03 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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It’s the final countdown to #HEADTEACHERING 9/10!

07.10.2025 21:42 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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"...and that this research has never been more easily accessible to educators." Absolutely, @southgloshead.bsky.social. I started teaching in 1980, so I feel this even more acutely! (And I remember my own secondary schooling in the 70s.) I think of this whenever anyone lambasts education today. 2/2

06.10.2025 14:44 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"There is no such thing as ‘best practice’, only ‘best bets’. Leaders need to carefully look at the available evidence to decide whether the proposed change will have the desired impact in their setting." @southgloshead.bsky.social www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach... @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social

07.10.2025 17:54 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Should heads teach? A recent Twitter conversation about the advantages and disadvantages of heads having a teaching commitment made me thoughtful.  I was a teacher for thirty years, and a head for the last ten of thes…

"I believe that a headteacher who still teaches from time to time sends out a powerful message to the staff, to the children and to the parents." @southgloshead.bsky.social in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach.... I agree! I've written about it here: jillberry102.blog/2017/12/02/s...

07.10.2025 17:57 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

"I believe that teaching has improved dramatically since I started my career in the late 90s, when you could pretty much teach anything you wanted, however you pleased. I also believe that we live in a golden age of research into the science of teaching & learning..." @southgloshead.bsky.social 1/2

06.10.2025 14:41 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

"For staff to buy in to school improvement, they need to know two things:
1. Why it is important to both the future of the school as a whole & to them as individuals.
2. How safe they will be (professionally speaking) during the messy early phases of implementation..." @southgloshead.bsky.social 1/2

06.10.2025 14:46 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1
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Headteachering The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.These a…

"Audit which children attend clubs & other activities & which don’t. Cross-reference this with their level of attendance & their conduct. Is there a link between a lack of belonging & low attendance/poor behaviour?" Advice from @southgloshead.bsky.social in www.bloomsbury.com/uk/headteach...

05.10.2025 10:08 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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First official review… 😬

www.schoolleaderbooks.com/books/headte...

04.10.2025 17:36 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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"...The best visions are coloured by the present but nod to brighter days on distant shores." @southgloshead.bsky.social in 'Headteachering', out from @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social on Thursday 9th October. 2/2

03.10.2025 16:35 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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"Discretionary effort comes more from feeling than cold logic. And how people feel about the school’s vision & the journey you & they are embarked upon has as much impact as the practical, sensible, logical things which you as leader are doing to improve the school." @southgloshead.bsky.social

04.10.2025 09:04 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0