These patterns don't appear at secondary school. They take root in primary and compound over time, shaping how children see themselves, whether they feel they belong and the opportunities that can either open up or quietly narrow as a result.

This half term, we’ve celebrated World Book Day, and with it, the launch of #1millionstories by Boys’ Impact, a campaign named for the one million boys eligible for free school meals in schools across England, to amplify and platform the voices and stories of young working-class boys in our schools. Whilst World Book Day might have passed, the opportunity to champion the voices of boys is year-round.

This is a common occurrence within the educational landscape and Rachel Johnson, CEO of PiXL, even has experiences of this too.

She knows all too well how easy it is to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, but importantly, how much more there is to being a leader than just getting things done. 

Check out her recent article for some practical advice that she has sourced on her personal journey from educator to leader. 

From mastering the art of having crucial conversations to the strategies for successful delegation, Rachel outlines the actionable insights that can transform your leadership style. She also delves into the complexities of navigating leadership's inherent paradoxes – the delicate balance between responsibility and daring, autonomy and accountability, and trust and verification.

 If you find this helpful and want more practical advice sourced from research and made applicable to education, take a look at Rachel’s Time to Think book series:

Our members get access to a wealth of strategies, resources and how-to guides, based on the latest evidence and school-led intelligence, as well as a range of other benefits.
 
Click the link below to download a free resource looking at practical ideas around managing Parent-School Relationships so that you get the outcome you need, see the impact and engage your team. 

I also knew Tim through the work he and Mick Waters wrote together – what wisdom, what intelligence and what humanity both of them showed and Mick continues to show. I am proud that Mick is part of all of our conferences this year bringing his wisdom, insights, intelligence and humility to PiXL members – we are richer for it. The books they wrote, with the number of contributors involved, of all different persuasions and politics, says a lot about them both. 

Then I was fortunate to spend a morning with Tim in 2022 when we filmed PiXL in Conversation together. What we got on camera was only a quarter of what was spoken when the cameras stopped. In fact, the conversation was flowing so much and so naturally it was almost impossible for the film crew to work out what was on and what was off! We talked about all types of things, including some reflections that were poignant and moving. You can hear them for yourself in this episode which we are releasing to everyone below.

With so many podcasts out there today, it can be hard to find the ones that walk the line between entertaining, educational, and insightful. This is something that the Leadership Bookclub seems to do exceptionally well.

Last month, they ran an event over Zoom: ‘Beyond Everyone’s Invited: 3 critical factors for creating genuine change’; and Rachel Johnson, PiXL’s CEO, was invited to share her thoughts. The conversation was around how we can create school cultures in which everyone can take ownership for their behaviour and the impact it has.

You can watch the full recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAiXL8VuA7g&t=137s

Or you can watch a clipped version of Rachel Johnson’s segment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TurOHwMO1YY

The work you do matters. How you do it matters too. We believe that strengthening, supporting and equipping school leaders is one of the very best ways in which we can all continue to make a difference to our children and young people.

For the 2021 Awards, we are delighted to be sponsoring the ‘Making a Difference’ category, and it was a pleasure to meet many representatives from the shortlisted schools at the Silver Winner’s Tea in September (https://www.teachingawards.com/uk-ceremony/house-of-commons-tea/) who are doing some quite great things in their contexts.

The 2021 Awards Ceremony is taking place on Sunday, 28^th November, following a week-long celebration of teaching on BBC’s The One Show. At the Ceremony, the Gold Award Winners are selected from thousands of nominations.  

For the 2022 Awards, there are 15 awarding categories, from ‘Headteacher of the Year’ and ‘Impact through Partnership’ to ‘Making a Difference’. Registration opens in November, but you can register your interest here: https://www.teachingawards.com/2022-awards-register-your-interest/.