HeadteacherChat publishes practical blogs for school leaders. This is a selection of ones that readers keep coming back to, covering inspection, safeguarding, SEND, staffing and teaching, followed by a few education newsletters worth reading alongside them.
Inspection and accountability
Ofsted education inspection reforms: 5 mins briefing
Written in September 2025, before the new framework started, this briefing explains the five-point grading scale with a new "exceptional" grade, the report cards and the separate inclusion judgement. It also covers what leaders might do about parental engagement and staff wellbeing.
Thoughts on the final Ofsted toolkit: more than just a tweak
Published in October 2025, this looks at the final 2025 School Inspection Handbook and argues it is a bigger shift than a clarification. It covers the move from "exemplary" to "exceptional", worries about parental complaints and uneven inspection experiences, and gives practical steps for leaders.
A summary of Ofsted's Strong Foundations in the first years of school
A summary of Ofsted's October 2024 report on early years and Reception, covering curriculum clarity, responsive teaching, purposeful assessment and teaching behaviour and attitudes explicitly.
SEF or SIP? Stick with the familiar or embrace the new?
A guide for leaders deciding whether to keep a self-evaluation form or move to a school improvement plan as their main leadership tool.
Safeguarding
KCSIE July 2025: key changes you need to know
A summary of the July 2025 changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education, including online safety, filtering, alternative provision, SEND terminology and safer recruitment. The 2026 edition has since come into force, so check the current guidance on GOV.UK before acting on it.
SEND and inclusion
10 things that your SENCO wants you to know
Lynn How sets out ten ways headteachers can support their SENCO, including workload, pay, a place on the senior leadership team, CPD and admin support. An editorial note covers the SENCO NPQ, which replaced NASENCO as the required qualification in England from September 2024.
The role of adaptive teaching in meeting the needs of every pupil
Lucy Coy explains adaptive teaching as making changes within the lesson so every pupil can learn. She links it to SEND duties, inclusion and Ofsted expectations, and suggests practical steps for leaders.
Staffing and workload
Interview questions for a deputy headteacher
39 interview questions for deputy headteacher candidates, each with notes on what a strong answer should show. It is useful for panels and for candidates preparing.
Understanding directed time, trapped time and the role of union calculators
How to measure directed time against the annual hours limit in the teachers' pay and conditions document, which activities count, and how union workload calculators can help with an audit.
The dress code debate: tattoos and hair dye in schools
Drawing on views from the HeadteacherChat community, this finds that many educators see visible tattoos and unconventional hair colours as compatible with professionalism. It asks schools to check that their dress codes match their values and apply fairly to staff and pupils.
Education Substacks worth reading
These newsletters are written by people working in education, and their views are their own. We have picked the ones most useful to school leaders.
Clare Lunnon Haines
Writing on SEND reform for school leaders. Her post Getting started with SEND reform: it's not about SEND argues that schools should treat reform as a school improvement project and not only a SEND project.
Jonny Uttley
Opinion and analysis on school policy and inspection. His post Ofsted owns this dumpster fire argues that Ofsted's new framework needs fundamental reconsideration, starting with how it judges inclusion.
Lynsey White
Reflective writing from a school leader's point of view. Her post I will sit with you in the dark looks at the difference between supporting someone and doing something for them.
The No Silver Bullets Man
A newsletter on school data and accountability. The post How the new IDSR changes school data looks at the similar schools comparison and what it could mean for schools whose pupils already do well.
Read The No Silver Bullets Man
EduCoach, Dr Jo Lein
Research-backed writing for school leaders and instructional coaches about working within imperfect systems.
Tips for Teachers, Craig Barton
A weekly deep dive into one education research paper, with the findings turned into ideas for the classroom.
Keep reading
Our blogs and these newsletters cover different ground, so a few from each will give you a good mix of practical guidance and other people's thinking. If you read a newsletter that school leaders should know about, tell us in the community.
Updated 10/10/2026
