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.
