Reflections on Launch Day (or The Country Mouse goes to Birmingham)

Launch Day for my book #QuietLeadership was 'the end of the beginning'. Now the real work starts! Check out my latest post here shorturl.at/r0BIU

Launch Day and What Comes Next There is something in the air today.

5:42 AM. The rest of the town is sleeping, but everything has changed. Today I’m officially a published author! 📖
It’s Launch Day, and I’m on a mission to support the quiet leaders who have been told they’re "too quiet" to lead.
Read the story:

My Top 10 Summer Term Transition Tips The summer term is always a strange one.

The summer term: sports days, productions, and... transition stress? 🏫 I’ve shared my top 10 strategies for getting transition right (including the one thing most schools miss about Y6/7).
Read more on my Substack: shorturl.at/p6tqo 🚀
#Education #TeacherSky #Transition #PrimaryEd

My Top 10 Summer Term Transition Tips The summer term is always a strange one.

The summer term: sports days, productions, and... transition stress? 🏫 I’ve shared my top 10 strategies for getting transition right (including the one thing most schools miss about Y6/7).
Read more on my Substack: shorturl.at/p6tqo 🚀
#Education #TeacherSky #Transition #PrimaryEd

#QuietLeadership Weekly - Issue 7 Friday April 17th 2026

The latest edition of my newsletter is out! 🗞️
🥦 Why "healthy" might mean hungry kids.
🚽 The bathroom break as a career strategy.
🗓️ The new Monday morning "waiting game."
🌏 Global Lessons: Insights from 🇰🇷 to 🇦🇺.
Read & subscribe here: shorturl.at/fKoM9 ⚡️
#Education #EdSky #Leadership #Introverts

Stop! Grammar Time: Why Catchy Songs Can’t Replace Sure Start I have read through the government’s guidance released today to “help families get children ready for school” in September, and I have some thoughts.

I’ve gone deeper into why this "political" document misses the mark—and what we actually need to move the needle.
Read the full post on my Substack: shorturl.at/nFP3q ✍️ (3/3)

We’re trading 3,500 Sure Start centres for an MC Grammar song. You can’t "catch up" on development in August with a song. We need the ring-fenced, birth-to-five presence that we spent a decade dismantling. (2/3)

Stop! Grammar Time. 🛑
The Gov’s new "School Readiness" guidance acknowledges the 37% gap but offers catchy raps instead of structural support.
As a teacher from the Sure Start era, a summer checklist isn’t a strategy—it’s a sticking plaster. 🩹 (1/3)

Children are the same everywhere, aren't they!

“Please sir, I (don’t) want some more!” Lessons from the front line: Why 'fixing' school dinners is harder than the government thinks.

Here is a link to my substack post on the new school food standards. open.substack.com/pub/exheadte...

Pupils in England may reject new healthier school lunches, pilot suggests Results of six-week trial prompt concerns over government proposals as children reject healthier meals

I don't want to say 'I told you so', but...

The Guardian reports that a pilot scheme with meals based on upgraded food standards resulted in a 15% reduction in the number of children ordering hot meals.

shorturl.at/cHw3q

From the "triple-checking the passport at 3 AM" phase to the "Tetris-style airplane food" phase, check out my love letter to flying for the anxious #introvert. ✈️🍴
Read about the pre-pack, the shiny folders, and the magic of the wild blue yonder here: shorturl.at/Y7sl8

The Story so Far... As the publication of my book, Quiet Leadership: The Power of Introversion in Schools, is imminent, now seems like a good time to tell my ‘story so far’.

If you’re new to the series, you can catch up on the story so far here:
🔹 Part 1: shorturl.at/hr3yE
🔹 Part 2: shorturl.at/NtNaQ
Follow along as I navigate the jump from Headteacher to Author! ✨

The Story so Far - Part 3 When everything changed

Part 3 of my journey from the school hall to the bookshelf is out! 📚
This week: Networking as an introvert, taking a gamble on a rough draft, and the slow-motion torture of waiting three weeks for a life-altering email. 📩
shorturl.at/7yY8v #Edutwitter #WritingLife

“Please sir, I (don’t) want some more!” Lessons from the front line: Why 'fixing' school dinners is harder than the government thinks.

Add "fix the obesity crisis" to the list of our responsibilities? Great. 🙄 The DfE wants a "transformation" of school food. As an ex-Head, I’ve seen "healthy" menus lead to a surge in packed lunches and passive-aggressive emails.
Policy vs. Palatability. 🥦
shorturl.at/Mcu2N
#EdSky #Education

Quiet Leadership The power of introversion in schools

Click the link to find out more: buff.ly/Bm3f4e9

@exheadteacher.bsky.social

“Please sir, I (don’t) want some more!” Lessons from the front line: Why 'fixing' school dinners is harder than the government thinks.

Add "fix the obesity crisis" to the list of our responsibilities? Great. 🙄 The DfE wants a "transformation" of school food. As an ex-Head, I’ve seen "healthy" menus lead to a surge in packed lunches and passive-aggressive emails.
Policy vs. Palatability. 🥦
shorturl.at/Mcu2N
#EdSky #Education

The Story so Far - Part 2 The continuing adventures of my journey as a writer...

How do you find your niche in a crowded market? For me, it started with embracing my introversion. 🤫
Part 2 of my author journey is up now! Featuring magazine pitches, Susan Cain's ‘Quiet’, and the moment it all clicked. 💡
shorturl.at/GsEXM
#susancain #QuietLeadership

As the publication of my book is imminent, now seems like a good time to tell my ‘story so far’. www.crownhouse.co.uk/quiet-leader...
I hope that budding writers will enjoy reading about a process that I am still getting my head around.
shorturl.at/KjYUj

Burnham on a Bank Holiday A tribute to the past

Slabs of lager, frustrated lifeguards, and the hunt for Mr Whippy. 🍦🍺
My latest blog post on surviving the first Bank Holiday of the season in Burnham-on-Sea.
Catch the full story here: shorturl.at/q5oJh #BurnhamOnSea #VisitSomerset

To anyone outside the classroom, it's a holiday. To a teacher, it’s "decompression." Like coming up from a deep-sea dive, you can’t just snap back into the real world. Let's start calling them what they are: essential non-contact time. shorturl.at/Y1u8H

The Diary of an Introverted Cricket Fan 2026 Edition

Being highly #introverted can clash with being a committed fan of my #SomersetCCC, so I need strategies to manage what might seem like trivial problems. I explain more in my Substack. #introvert #YouAreSomerset #QuietLeadership shorturl.at/uxhtG

From child-safe smartphones to chess grandmasters in schools—the latest issue of #QuietLeadership Weekly is out now. 📱♟️
Includes a quick-link guide to KCSIE 2026 and a look at Ofcom’s latest safety crackdown.
Get the update: shorturl.at/KnVJh #EdTec

Supermarkets are an introvert's nightmare, transforming efficient shopping trips into overwhelming, chaotic experiences. In "Shopping for Introverts", I explore the draining nature of retail chaos and propose a calm, consistent, well-lit alternative, the Introverted Supermarket. shorturl.at/qShGd

Is it finally time to abolish Ofsted? The Green Party certainly think so.

The #GreenParty wants to abolish Ofsted. Is it time to finally kill the "grey gremlin" sitting on every teacher's shoulder? 👹
As a school leader who survived 6+ inspections, I present my 4-part plan to detoxify the system.
#Edutwitter #Ofsted #Education shorturl.at/X6ZDn

Is it finally time to abolish Ofsted? The Green Party certainly think so.

The #GreenParty wants to abolish Ofsted. Is it time to finally kill the "grey gremlin" sitting on every teacher's shoulder? 👹
As a school leader who survived 6+ inspections, I present my 4-part plan to detoxify the system.
#Edutwitter #Ofsted #Education shorturl.at/X6ZDn

It’s Not the Screen, It’s the Connection: A Headteacher’s View on the New Under-Fives Guidance Growing up in the pre-digital age, our tech was limited to a ‘house phone’ and a television in the lounge.

We’re told children under five should have just one hour of screen time a day. I’ve been looking at the numbers behind the new government report, and the math doesn't quite add up. Screens aren't the problem. The connection between parent and child is. shorturl.at/7NCXx

The Death of the Teacher: A Real-Life Black Mirror Episode in Chicago I love the TV show Black Mirror.

A school with no teachers, constant AI surveillance, and eye-tracking that flags you if you look away for 60 seconds. 👁️🤖
Is this the next Black Mirror episode or the future of education? My latest post dives into the "Alpha School" model.
Read more here: shorturl.at/u8hTq

The Death of the Teacher: A Real-Life Black Mirror Episode in Chicago I love the TV show Black Mirror.

A school with no teachers, constant AI surveillance, and eye-tracking that flags you if you look away for 60 seconds. 👁️🤖
Is this the next Black Mirror episode or the future of education? My latest post dives into the "Alpha School" model.
Read more here: shorturl.at/u8hTq

#QuietLeadership Weekly - Issue 5 Friday 27th March 2026

🛡️ Ofsted row back on “low expectations” comments.
⚠️ Top schools “actively discouraging” SEND applications.
📚 Scottish Green Party’s plan to ban homework.
🌪️ How misconduct is being rebranded.
📱 Government trialling under-16 phone curfews.
shorturl.at/gJmAP
#UKEdChat
#HeadteacherChat #EducationNews