Ben

Former primary DHT with 17 years of classroom experience. Now the boss of this place.

6 building blocks you need to consider when building your culture.

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Culture is a tricky thing to build, to develop, to get right. You’ll often read articles and posts about toxic cultures in schools which criticise the leadership in such establishments. Creating a culture isn’t as easy as saying – “This is what we want to achieve, this is how we are going to do it.” … Read more

The Consequences of Not Listening to Sir Ken

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Sadly, Sir Ken Robinson passed away this week, I am sure I speak for us all when I say that he will be sorely missed. His voice is one of the first I heard in education that truly challenged the status quo and challenged my thinking about the purpose of education. His talks are inspirational, … Read more

7 Things You Need to Know About Networking

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You have probably heard “Your network is your net worth” being  used in the world of business. But what does it mean for you? After all, you are educators not business people, well, it all depends how you define your worth… Are you begging for favours? Think about why you are networking. If you are … Read more

5 Things I wish I learned earlier about collaboration.

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Over the last year, I have collaborated successfully with a lot of people – creating YouTube Channels, presenting on a weekly live streamed educational show and writing for a blog series or two. Unfortunately, not every collaboration has been a success. So why do some collaborations still fail? Without trust you have nothing When there … Read more

To do? Or not to do? That is the question.

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There has been a lot written about the to-do list. Some people swear by them, some people just use them as a torture device to write down all the things they feel they should be doing – but haven’t.

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Why the booths argument is a distraction.

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One of the biggest arguments currently raging in educational circles is on the use of isolation booths in schools. It is an argument that appears to have rapidly polarised into extreme positions, particularly on Twitter. However, I firmly believe that is an argument that is distracting from the core business of educating children.

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Define Your Results – Guide Your Culture

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In this article, I continue my application of the work of Connors and Smith to schools. Essentially, they say that without clearly stating the results that you want to achieve, doing anything to change your culture is pointless. The previous article can be found here.

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Create a Culture of Accountability the Right Way

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In many schools, accountability is something that happens to you when something has gone wrong. It creates a culture of fear, a culture that is not based on trust and a culture that wants to avoid being accountable if at all possible. It is a culture that doesn’t work.

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Toxicity in Education

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When I wrote Trust in Education, I was writing about good leadership, ways that good leaders can build a great culture and empower their staff to be better. This article is about something that is in many ways the polar opposite – the Toxic Triangle, which can exist in all organisations.

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Thanks for reading this.

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Last night, while strolling back from enjoying an evening at #BrewEdYork, I decided to stop for a bite to eat. While waiting for my food to arrive (two chicken fillets and chips with spicy mayo for those interested in after-alcohol dining experiences), a group of four children entered the dining establishment.

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