Look out for our 5th Annual Headteacher Wellbeing Report coming soon. We make 8 recommendations based on the calls we received anonymously throughout 2025. You won’t want to miss it. ⤵️

We continue to receive calls in regard to the new inspection framework. Call us in confidence if you need support and a friendly ear. It’s completely free.

Colleagues - we are beginning to get some feedback on these pilot inspections. It is helpful for us to know how things are on the ground in order to support. Please send us any information you you have.

Absolutely 👏👏👏

Our Team know how to enjoy themselves @rosmcm.bsky.social and @kennyfrederick.bsky.social #Shetland2025 @moonrakerteacher.bsky.social still taking calls while Ros and Kenny are getting very wet!

This sums up the stress and the joy we listen to everyday. Thank you @keziak70.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/lea...

We have written to the appointments commission jointly with @headsroundtable.bsky.social opposing the peerage nomination of Amanda Spielman. We’ve also sent a copy to No 10. You can download our letter and send it to your MP and the commission as well.

The HeadteachersRoundtable and Headrest are organisations who understand. Read their joint statement @headsroudtable.bsky.social @headrestuk.bsky.social headteachersroundtable.wordpress.com/o

The reported nomination of ex-Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman for the House of Lords is ‘inappropriate’ and ‘insensitive’, @headsroundtable.bsky.social and @headrestuk.bsky.social tell the appointments commission

We will be issuing a joint statement with @headsroundtable.bsky.social later this afternoon. We will also publish a letter for you to send to the House of Lords Appointment Committee and your local MP. It will be available to download on our website blog. www.headrestuk.co.uk/blog

We will publish details of the petition mentioned in this article in due course.

"As a profession, we need to learn how to hold ourselves & others to account for the quality of our work, rather than having constantly to rely on outsiders." @andrewdmorrish.bsky.social & the @headrestuk.bsky.social team in www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Belie... @johncattedu.bsky.social

So important that all colleagues respond to this. www.surveymonkey.com/r/LQ7KG25

An article from our @RosMcM www.teachingtimes.com/ofsted-dont-...

Take a look at the @headrestuk.bsky.social blog. It contains all of our annual wellbeing reports as well as posts from a range of guest bloggers all focussing on wellbeing.

If you want to explore humane and intelligent alternatives to a high stakes accountability system, then this book from @headrestuk.bsky.social is a good starting point. Full of examples of how it could work, backed with international research, real examples and best practice. Out now. ⤵️

Pete telling it like it is www.headrestuk.co.uk/blog/headtea...

Brilliant this from fellow Headrestian and former special school head @moonrakerteacher.bsky.social.

We are not happy with Ofsted. Here’s the follow-up to our response yesterday to the unworkable report card proposals.

Excellent response. Thanks @headrestuk.bsky.social

This is brilliant from @headrestuk.bsky.social colleagues @rosmcm.bsky.social and @julespg.bsky.social. I think it speaks on behalf of many.

Please ensure this is spread far and wide.

Excellent blog by @headrestuk.bsky.social www.headrestuk.co.uk/blog/missed-...

Our response to the latest Ofsted proposals. Part 2 tomorrow. www.headrestuk.co.uk/blog/missed-...

A very relevant chapter from the new book Beyond Belief by @headrestuk.bsky.social featuring @naht.org.uk and their 2018 Accountability Commission. ‘The way schools are being held to account was doing more harm than good.’ Sadly, it seems nothing will change.

Tonight our hearts go out to all affected by the tragedy in Sheffield. We are all those parents; we are all those teachers and students. Sometimes headship is an unbearable burden.

Looking at OFSTED’s ridiculous proposals (allowing them to come up with their own proposals was always going to be a car crash), I believe this is the first challenge for Bridget Phillipson: if she allows this, she loses credibility. @headsroundtable.bsky.social @headrestuk.bsky.social

Reading the article in @schoolsweek.bsky.social on the unhappiness in OFSTED and whistleblower letter to press - let’s be honest about this - putting OFSTED in charge of designing the change was always going to be a total disaster.

Our book is out today 🎉

Out tomorrow.

We are looking forward to sharing this with you on Friday when it’s released. It’s been a labour of love. A big thank you to all those who contributed. There are more than 30 of you, including Lord Jim Knight. 👏🏼 All royalties go to edu charity so please pre-order your copy today! 🙏🏼

Don’t forget that we are here if you need someone to talk to who has sat in your chair. It’s free, totally confidential and entirely safe.

#BeyondBelief includes chapters from @rosmcm.bsky.social @kennyfrederick.bsky.social @moonrakerteacher.bsky.social @julespg.bsky.social

10 days to publication. Thank you @johncattedu.bsky.social for todays delivery. #BeyondBelief

ICYMI ⤵️

Absolutely superb stuff from the brilliant @headrestuk.bsky.social This report draws from a huge range of experience & evidence & accurately describes the reality of school leadership in 2025 Essential reading. Especially for senior leaders at Ofsted. www.headrestuk.co.uk/blog/headtea...

Yay. First review in. Thanks, Steve. (And thanks for your contribution too.) #BeyondBelief

Our 2025 Annual Headteacher Wellbeing Report is published today. It summarises the key stressors and issues headteachers are facing. We make a number of recommendations that are aimed at improving the wellbeing of headteachers. Please share widely.

Exclusive: The 2024 @headrestuk.bsky.social report reveals that the support service is still receiving "traumatic" calls from heads, leaving them "fearful" of further tragedies. It calls for better inspector training on "most serious situations”, such as suicide risk. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Our annual Headteacher Wellbeing Report is published on our website tomorrow. @tesmagazine.bsky.social exclusively preview the findings and recommendations based on the calls we received from headteachers throughout 2024.

Really happy to endorse this important piece of leadership research. Please complete the survey in the link if you are a school leader. It’s part of a major 3-year research project exploring contemporary school leadership across the UK by researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Warwick.

Look out for annual Headteacher Wellbeing Report later this week. We’ll pop it on our website and post a link. It’s our fourth, and for once it’s not entirely dominated by Ofsted.

4/4 And of course, the team behind @headrestuk.bsky.social: @rosmcm.bsky.social, @kennyfrederick.bsky.social, @moonrakerteacher.bsky.social, @julespg.bsky.social and @jonnyuttley.bsky.social. 👏🏼 A final thanks to @alisonpeacock.bsky.social for the blurb comment.

3/4 Plus: Ed Barnett-Ward, Maggie, Farrar, Narinder Gill, Malcolm Groves, Lorraine Hughes, Sean Lang, Ben Levinson, Alisdair MacDonald, Paulette Osbourne, Pater Radford, Elaine Rees, Nasima Riazat, Tracey O’Brien, Nikki Thomas, Steve Waters, Meena Wood.

2/4 Features contributions from Lord Jim Knight, Prof Julia Waters, Melissa Benn, @annafazack.bsky.social @emmakn.bsky.social, @calmleadership.bsky.social, @jillberry102.bsky.social, @richardgerver.bsky.social, @stevewillshaw.bsky.social, @helenstevenson.bsky.social, @mrsoliviab.bsky.social …

Pre-order the new book from the @headrestuk.bsky.social team, along with 30 other amazing contributors. It’s all about how to fix our broken accountability system. We think you’ll like it. Published 31st January by @johncattedu.bsky.social. All royalties to charity. 1/4 amzn.eu/d/cGl2wSe

Welcome to all our new followers! We are no longer posting on X so please contact us via the website in the usual way or DM us on here. Please share! 🙏🏼 HeadrestUK.co.uk

Beyond Belief is released next month. Find out more about the collaborative book and how to pre- order. All royalties to education wellbeing charities. #edusky

2/2 Not forgetting also the brilliant @headrestuk.bsky.social team of @rosmcm.bsky.social, @moonrakerteacher.bsky.social, @julespg.bsky.social, @jonnyuttley.bsky.social, plus from the other place @ottleyoconnor and @kennygfrederick. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 #edusky Pre-order a copy here. Out on 31st January.

Off to the printers today. Thank you @alisonpeacock.bsky.social for your kind words. Thanks also to contributors such as @edmund-b-w.bsky.social, @jillberry102.bsky.social, @calmleadership.bsky.social, @annafazack.bsky.social, @stevewillshaw.bsky.social, @schoolsoftomorrow.bsky.social etc… 1/2