Headteacher Update Podcast: A school leadership survival guide

This episode offers crucial advice and lots of practical tips to help primary school headteachers – especially those new to post – to survive and thrive in the top job. We speak with three experienced school leaders who draw on their experiences and the ups and downs of their careers to offer their tips, ideas, and advice to others. We ask what our guests wish somebody had told them during the early months and years of their headships – a question that yields lots of quick wins as well as more in-depth, long-term advice. Our guests also describe some of the challenges they have faced during their years in the hot seat and the – often inspiring – lessons learned from how they managed these challenges and overcame them. We set out some specific wellbeing advice for school leaders and we discuss how we can ensure we survive and thrive both in the short-term – the early months of headship – but also the longer term. We look at how we can build capacity in our teams – a key aspect of long-term survival – as well as building relationships with colleagues, the benefits of coaching, and where we can turn if we need further support.