The Cake Is Not the Culture Cake in the staffroom is not a wellbeing strategy. Let's talk about what is. www.linkedin.com/posts/ben-er...

As a football fan, this quote immediately caught my eye. “Football is the most important of the less important things in the world.” Carlo Ancelotti It’s a line that makes you stop and think because it gently puts things back in their place… open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

This quote is a reminder that somewhere along the way from deadlines, responsibility, and the seriousness of leadership - we forget one of the simplest parts of being human: joy. open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Some days a few negative moments can make it feel like everything’s wobbling. But walking the corridors, stepping into classrooms and seeing children learning and staff smiling always resets the perspective.

One of my favourite books is Legacy by James Kerr… “Leaders create leaders by passing on responsibility, creating ownership, accountability and trust.” — James Kerr, Legacy In schools, this is everything. Great leadership isn’t about holding all the strings: it’s about handing them over.

In education, leadership isn’t about climbing the mountain alone: it’s about empowering others to believe it can be moved. Trust your team, build belief, and show what’s possible. 💪 #Leadership #Education #Mindset #MelRobbins

Leadership strategy #9 Peter Drucker said, “Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done.” open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

“There is nothing better than hearing ‘well done.’ Those are the two best words ever invented in sport.” Alex Ferguson Leadership strategy number 8 - Recognition is Free open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Leadership Strategy #7 - See the Full Picture American football coach, Bill Walsh said “As a leader, part of the job is to be visible and willing to communicate with everyone.” open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Quality over quantity. Cliché, but still holds very true. #leadership #stevejobs

11th and final blog of the leadership strategies… “There are three qualities a leader must exemplify to build trust: competence, connection and character.” John Maxwell, Leadership Expert and Author Read the blog here… open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Leadership strategy #5 - Develop and Grow Others: American research professor, Rene Brown said, “I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” Link below in thread…

Education is constantly evolving, with new research, curriculum changes, and developing approaches to teaching and learning emerging all the time. If we stop learning, we risk becoming out of touch and ineffective…. open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Discipline isn’t just about rules — it’s about standards and expectations. Sir Alex built entire teams on this mindset. Lose discipline, lose everything that matters. #Leadership #SirAlexFerguson #SuccessMindset

To build a positive leadership culture, sometimes leadership is as simple as this — own the mistakes, share the success. 💡 Real strength isn’t about taking the spotlight, it’s about shining it on others. #Leadership #JohnWooden #Teamwork

Latest Leadershio Blog… Leadership strategy number 10 - Your Staff Define You “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” - Simon Sinek Click the link in this thread to read the blog…

True character is revealed in how we treat those who can’t do anything for us. Kindness isn’t selective: it’s a reflection of our values. A reminder from Muhammad Ali that respect should never depend on status. 🥊✨

New blog post! As part of the leadership strategies to create a positive culture, here’s no.9… Rewrite the Rulebook Peter Drucker said, “Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done.” Do you agree? open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

This is my 8th blog out of 11, sharing leadership strategies that implemented consistently create a positive leadership culture and feeling of belonging. This one is ‘Recognition is Free’ “There is nothing better than hearing ‘well done.’” Alex Ferguson open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Leadership Strategy #7 - See the Full Picture “It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it and appropriately act on it.” Steven Covey open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Leadership Strategy #7 - See the Full Picture As school leaders, it is easy to make decisions based on assumptions or second-hand information. The truth is, if we don’t really know what’s happening in classrooms, staffrooms and corridors, we risk… open.substack.com/pub/benerski...

Leadership Strategy #6 - Make Life Easier… “There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all.” Peter Drucker

Building this culture starts with being authentic and consistent. People need to see the real you. That means admitting mistakes, being approachable and treating everyone with fairness and respect.

Following the first 4 leadership strategies; True Inclusion, Clarity of Purpose, Lead by Example and Always be Learning here’s leadership strategy number five…

Following the first 3 blogs on leadership strategies, here number four…

My first out of 11 blogs on leadership strategies was about True Inclusion: valuing every role in school and building trust. The second, Clarity of Purpose, on vision and clear boundaries. This third blog is about Leading by Example Hope you enjoy…

As leaders, our role is to keep reminding staff of the bigger picture, while also giving them the structures and frameworks to thrive within it.

Having read widely about leadership and reflected on my own journey, I’ve brought together 11 key strategies that I believe matter most. I’ll be sharing a blog on each one. This is the first: True Inclusion.

The feedback I use for coaching educators isn’t just theory—it’s been field-tested in 14,000 Steplab schools. At this point, I’m convinced: it’s a formula for feedback that actually lands, every time. Learn all about it in this training program: steplab.co/news/steplab...

Following the first 3 blogs about leadership strategies including, True Inclusion, Clarity of Purpose and Lead by Example, here strategy number four: Always be Learning!

My first out of 11 blogs representing 11 leadership strategies was all about True Inclusion: valuing every role in school and building trust. The second, Clarity of Purpose, focused on vision and clear boundaries to help staff thrive. This third blog is about Leading by Example Hope you enjoy…

I have been writing about leadership through 11 leadership strategies I’ve pulled together from books I’ve read and leadership experience. My first strategy is True Inclusion. Heres my second…

Having read widely about leadership and reflected on my own journey, I’ve brought together 11 key strategies that I believe matter most. I’ll be sharing a blog on each one. This is the first: True Inclusion. substack.com/@benerskine/...

Completely agree with this article by @didau.bsky.social We need to be careful not to label every struggle or setback as “trauma” because challenges and discomfort are a normal part of life and help us grow… Well worth a read! open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...

If you've read Primary Reading Simplified and found it useful, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider taking 60 seconds to add a rating or review at the place where you bought it. It's a little thing that makes a huge difference. Reposts are also much appreciated.

“To offer a demanding, powerful curriculum to every child is not elitist. It is egalitarian.” @markmccourt.bsky.social This is spot on… Must read for all!

@mrzachg.bsky.social Love this podcast @mrsball.bsky.social The power of scaffolded instruction and adaptive teaching, alongside deliberate, structured support which enables all students to access challenging content!

Brilliant visit to Ark Soane Academy yesterday with colleagues from Fulbridge Academy. Brilliant school! Loved the positive, orderly and caring culture. Very impressed by the high quality, consistent, intentional teaching and the carefully sequenced, purposeful knowledge rich curriculum.

Getting every kid reading in primary school is one of the most important things that teachers and leaders can do. So @emmaturner75.bsky.social and I spoke to @suchmo83.bsky.social for @mindthegappodcast.bsky.social to get the lowdown on fluency, myths and a whole lot more. youtu.be/DyrGjl-U2Xc?...

I'm thrilled to bring to you an example of a "lighthouse" school that is thinking outside the box when it comes to direct instruction, accelerated learning, and flexible achievement grouping. This should not be missed! educationrickshaw.com/2025/04/20/s...

Here's the pitch: Almost every primary school I've encountered is worried about the effectiveness of their approach to teaching reading after phonics and whether it provides pupils with engaging reading experiences. My book offers a tried-and-tested alternative.

10 Things: The essentials of your pedagogical toolkit. teacherhead.com/2023/08/31/1...

*Diagnostic overshadowing* can thwart inclusive teaching. What's useful for teachers to know: ↓

“The longer a teacher talks for, the more likely it is the number of pupils paying attention decreases.” Great blog on strategies to ensure students pay attention during the lessons explanation. Well worth a read. Thanks @priteshraichura.bsky.social bunsenblue.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/c...

Love the episode @emmaturner75.bsky.social @jonhutchinson.bsky.social with @mrzachg.bsky.social gained lots of ideas from the podcast and Just Tell Them book. Really made me think about teachers explanations (and leaders explanations when delivering to staff) podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

NEW! Today on Myatt & Co: Do we really need research on learning the curriculum? Yes, we do! But the paradox is that we intuitively know a lot of what works in any case. So it’s really helpful when what we know works is also backed up by the cognitive science. /1

I’ve been digging into the quality of EHCPs, plans that parents are dragged through court sometimes to obtain, and that are bankrupting councils What’s actually in them? Are they good quality? Personalised? Include interventions backed by evidence? Are they fully funded? The answer often is no

Just finished Just Tell Them by @mrzachg.bsky.social for the second time—such a thought-provoking read! It’s made me rethink how we can refine teacher talk and explanations. Love the practical, research-informed strategies. Highly recommend for any teacher! #Teaching #Education #JustTellThem