Best Practice

Back to school: Five essential foundations school leaders must build

Whole-school issues Attendance Behaviour Staff wellbeing
A key job for school leaders in September is to ensure their school is protected for the long, dark winter ahead. From attendance to behaviour, Neil Renton discusses five foundations we must have in place now – and asks five questions to help you reflect on your priorities this term
Image: Adobe Stock

A school leader messaged me at the end of August to say: “I’ve started to wake up again at night, the new academic term is one week away.”

The cycle of the school year beats an unchanging and relentless rhythm. For a few weeks in the summer holiday though, before results days, transition weeks, and planning for September return, we have some moments of reprieve.

The sun shines bright, the garden blooms, and we make it through the night. But do we need to put up with waking up at night or are there things we can do to prevent this?

Despite having only 30 days, September packs a punch. It is the most common birth month in the UK and when most children in the northern hemisphere return to school; a month that even has special light – the best golden hour, alpenglow or harvest light.

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