Headteacher (@StHelensPRU). Author. EdD Researcher. Writing about inclusion, belonging and leadership across schools and systems.
Manchester, England š
Joined September 2013
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Mike Power retweeted
Come and join us to look round our beautiful new EYFS Unit.
2 year old, 3 year old and 4 year old fully funded places available!
Reception 2027 places applications open now!
Inclusion and academic excellence should never be competing priorities.
My second book, The Inclusive School Leader, has now entered production with Routledge!
The book explores why inclusion must be central to school improvement, not separate from it.
#InclusiveEducation
Your school has an inclusive ethos. What changes for pupils because of it?
In my latest Substack, I explore how leaders can connect their intentions with evidence, focused action and pupilsā everyday experiences.
substack.com/@learningwithouā¦
Mike Power retweeted
NEW š„
Of 921 full inspections, 210 schools (22.8%) were below the expected standard for curriculum and teaching.
The most deprived group of schools are 14.25% more likely to receive a below-expected curriculum and teaching judgement than the least deprived schools
teachertoolkit.co.uk/2026/08ā¦
Mike Power retweeted
šØNEW: London continues to pull ahead of other regions in top grades, we have found.
Our analysis of todayās Level 3 results shows that 32.7% of pupils in the capital received grades at A or above, up from 31.9% last year.
This is the largest increase of any region, with the London gap continuing to widen š§µā¬ļø
Congrats to everyone getting A level results today.
Your results tell you something true about you now. They donāt decide who you become, or which doors should stay open to you.
Good luck, whatever today brings.
learningwithoutbarriers.subsā¦
The most consistent thing on A level results day is @JeremyClarksonās tweet and every year I love it. Because it is 100% correct, your results today do not define who you will become.
A pupil once made me a leaving card which simply read āThank fuck youāre leaving.ā
On the surface, defiance.
Underneath, connection.
Relational inclusion is learning to read beneath behaviour without excusing it or lowering expectations.
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
The government wants every child to benefit from enrichment.
Yet pupils in the most deprived schools are still offered fewer opportunities than their peers.
If enrichment builds confidence, belonging and aspiration, access shouldnāt depend on postcode.
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
Ofstedās latest inspection toolkit contains a fascinating statement:
āThe most effective inclusion strategy begins with everyday high-quality inclusive teaching.ā
But does the inspection framework fully reflect that ambition?
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
What does great teaching look like in every classroom, every lesson, every day?
Iāve shared the thinking behind our Teaching & Learning Framework
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
As schools support increasing numbers of pupils with SEND, inclusion can easily become intervention-led rather than needs-led.
In my latest article, I reflect on why the most important question isnāt: What intervention should we use?
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
Spent a lot of time today talking about how the biggest impact we can have as a leadership team is on our colleagues.
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
šInclusion is not simply the absence of exclusion š£ļø
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
As we head into the final half term, my focus is turning to school development priorities for 26/27
For me, inclusion, belonging and relationships should sit at the heart of school improvement, and share the model that will help shape our thinking.
open.substack.com/pub/learniā¦
Mike Power retweeted
School leadership can feel like protecting children from decisions you didnāt make.
Funding shifts. Grants vanish. Programmes get scrapped.
What felt stable yesterday becomes a hard conversation today.
Itās not just budgetsāitās the emotional weight for pupils, families, and staff:
- a club that may stop
- a role left uncertain
- a family losing support
- a leader recalculating everything, while staying calm
This is the unseen work: emotional buffering, careful communication, absorbing uncertainty without spreading panic.
Reflective leadership wonāt fix the funding crisis, but it helps leaders pause and respond with purpose:
- What can we control?
- What must we say honestly?
- Where is reassurance needed?
- How do we protect our own capacity?
Leaders canāt control external decisions, but they can shape the culture around themāthrough honesty, presence, calm values-led choices, and communities that share the load.
Leadership in hard times isnāt pretending things are fine. Itās staying steady so others still feel safe.
community.headteacherchat.coā¦
#SchoolLeadership #Headteachers #EducationLeadership #SchoolFunding #ReflectiveLeadership #SLT #TeacherWellbeing #HeadteacherChat
Unnecessary and deeply unhelpful scaremongering
Pupils could be put at risk if the new legislation banning phones in schools fails to fully take into account the fact that some need their devices for medical purposes, warns @ProfAMGregory
tes.com/magazine/analysis/seā¦
Mike Power retweeted
The DfE white paper is clear: literacy is every teacher's responsibility.
Primary leaders, ask yourselves: Is your September INSET truly preparing colleagues to deliver on this?
Pleased to have been appointed to the @educationgovuk Secondary Headteacher Reference Group.
Looking forward to contributing to national discussions on education policy and ensuring the voices of alternative provision, inclusive practice and vulnerable learners are represented.
