Author: Helen Northern

  • Handling tension in school as senior leaders

    Handling tension in school as senior leaders

    It’s part-way through the autumn term and you’re in the thick of it. Your team is stretched, and you can already see the conflict brewing, right when you’re meant to be building a culture where people feel like they matter. This article looks at the pressures senior leaders are dealing with right now.

    Carrying tension in the team: the meeting after the meeting

    You know the moment. The SLT meeting ends, everyone nods, and the real conversation starts in the car park. Or two colleagues have stopped speaking, and you can feel it every time you walk into the staffroom. Or the cover rota has become a battleground again.

    Every senior leader I know carries tension somewhere in their team. Most of us were never taught what to do with it. We were trained to teach, to plan and to analyse data, but not to tell the difference between friction that is wearing our team down and friction that is making us better.

    Destructive tension warning signs

    Destructive tension is friction that usually comes from a lack of clarity, or things that need to be said but aren’t. Your job is to spot it early, before it builds. Look out for: 

    • People not feeling heard: In meetings, some people are silent and others dominate. How do you make sure everyone has a voice and is heard?
    • Lack of clarity: people trying their best but not knowing “what done looks like” as it hasn’t been made clear.
    • Conflict and disagreement: when something is brewing but has not been addressed.

    Not all tension is bad

    Here is the thing I have come to believe: the absence of tension is not the same as a healthy team. Some of the most worrying teams I have seen are the ones where everyone is lovely and nobody ever disagrees.

    Adam Grant draws the distinction in Think Again. Relationship conflict is personal, while task conflict is a disagreement about the work. The research backs him up. A major review of 116 studies, covering nearly 9,000 teams, found that personal conflict consistently drags teams down, while disagreement about the work can help, if it stays about the work.

    So the question for leaders is not “how do I get rid of tension?” It is “which tension should I resolve, and which should I protect, or even create?”

    What we will explore together

    That is what our first session of the Senior Leaders Programme, Resolving and creating tension, is all about. It is practical, research-informed and rooted in the realities of school life. In the session, we will look at:

    • How to tell good tension from bad. Some disagreements that look like debates about ideas are really about something else entirely. Once you can spot the difference, the way forward often becomes clearer.
    • How to face and resolve unhelpful tension. Many of us avoid hard conversations because we want to be kind. We will look at what gets in the way, including the traps we all fall into under pressure, and how to go into a difficult conversation in the right frame of mind.
    • How to make the right things easier and the wrong things harder. Schools are brilliant at adding things: another meeting, another form, another initiative. Research shows we are wired to add rather than subtract. We will look at how to spot the friction draining your staff, and the friction worth keeping.
    • How to create the right kind of tension on purpose. Asking someone to play devil’s advocate sounds like a good idea. The evidence suggests it often backfires. We will explore what works instead, and why one genuine dissenter can improve a group’s thinking even when they turn out to be wrong.

    You will leave with a workbook, a set of tools you can use in your very next SLT or department meeting, and three commitments for the half term ahead.

    Who it is for

    The Senior Leaders Programme is for headteachers, deputies, assistant heads and anyone leading a team through change. If you have ever left a meeting knowing the real issue was never named or wondered whether your team is a little too comfortable, this is for you.

    Bring the tension you are carrying

    Before we start, I will ask you to name one tension you are carrying in your team right now. Most leaders find they have one ready. By the end of the session, I hope you will know whether to resolve it, reframe it or use it.

    Tension is not going away. But it can become one of the most useful tools a leader has. I would love you to join us.

    Senior Leaders Programme sessions

    SessionsThemesDates
    Session 1Resolving and creating tensionThursday 8th October 2026
    Session 2Cynicism versus scepticismWednesday 11th November 2026
    Session 3Mattering, belonging and joyThursday 10th December 2026

    Book your place on the sessions here.

  • How can busy subject leads set themselves up for a successful year ahead? 

    How can busy subject leads set themselves up for a successful year ahead? 

    It’s the beginning of the school year and as a busy subject lead, you’re wondering how you can set yourself up for a successful year ahead. Data from the Department of Education (DfE) highlights that full-time classroom teachers work an average of 52.4 hours per week, with educators consistently reporting they spend too much time on general admin. While that might sound familiar to subject leads, proactive, annual planning is an essential strategy to combat reactive work and set you and your team up for the year ahead. In this guide, we’ll look at how setting visionary goals, having the right operational tools in place and connecting with your team will provide you with strong foundations to build on over the academic year.

    Grow your department’s vision and values 

    As a subject leader, growing your department’s vision and values will provide structure for your team for the year ahead. Begin by reflecting on your school’s wildly important goals (WIGs) and relate these back to your department. Establish 3-5 goals that will help your school achieve its WIGs. Draw up a clear action plan that includes roles and responsibilities for your team, clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and deadlines. For example, an English department might set a goal to increase the number of students achieving a grade 5 or above in GCSE English Literature, with a named lead, a KPI to track each half term and a deadline tied to the next data drop. When communicating these goals to your team, set regular progress updates to ensure that the goals are front of mind and don’t get pushed to the side once the busy school year is in full swing.

    Take learnings from last year 

    Take learnings from last year by completing your summer analysis. Review and evaluate students’ performance from last year’s end of year exams, such as GCSE and A Levels. Pinpoint any gaps where last year’s cohort struggled so your department can adjust their teaching methods for their new classes. Consider adjusting curriculum pacing, resources and reviewing lesson planning, as well as setting benchmarking early for any interventions that might be needed. For more tips and tools, check out our National Department Briefings series.      

    Connect with your team 

    Your team are one of your most valuable assets. Champion them by providing clarity from the beginning. Take them through your department’s vision and values and work with them on how they can help you deliver their goals. Host regular department meetings, where you can share school news and department updates. Diarise one-to-one meetings to track individual progress and wellbeing to catch any issues early. It’s also a chance to celebrate successes and build a sense of belonging. Provide a smooth onboarding experience for new staff, so they are fully up to speed with your school’s WIGs, department goals and how they can contribute.    

    Protect your wellbeing  

    Growing a fantastic department takes time and effort, so it’s important that you are protecting your wellbeing alongside it. With teachers already averaging 52.4 hours a week, lead by example and show your team how to set physical and mental boundaries, such as: 

    Physical boundaries: 

    • Leave school at a set time 
    • Use physical props to signify focus time  

    Mental boundaries: 

    • Avoid working at weekends 
    • Avoid checking emails at home 
    • Block focus sessions to your diary 
    • Say ‘no’ to requests that would take you over capacity 

    Learning to say ‘no’ can be hard when you want to be seen as collaborative. Rather than a hard ‘no’ you can offer an alternative timeframe, or implement a time-sensitive process, so other departments know when you’ll be able to accommodate their request. Share these tactics with your team so they can implement them too.  

    Keep revisiting your plan 

    Your plan should flex and shift as the academic year unfolds. Diarise fixed times to revisit the plan, such as the end of each half term and after each assessment window, to make sure you’re still on track. Taking on feedback from colleagues, senior stakeholders and your team’s input will help you build your plan and make it stronger.   

    Take back control of the year ahead with expert guidance and practical resources from our National Department Briefings.