Peter Hughes' "Outstanding School Leadership" mixes personal story, reflection and practical guidance on leading a school through hard times.
At the heart of Hughes’ approach is a commitment to anti-racism and inclusion that shapes his decisions. He argues that leaders must understand the experiences of pupils and staff from diverse backgrounds.
He is critical of the Ofsted inspection system, pointing to its pressures and inconsistencies, and argues for a high-frequency, low-stakes model of judging school performance.
He makes the case for a 'mission-driven' school, where learning is the norm for every child and adult in it.
He is practical about the challenges of expanding and developing a school's buildings, and open about the obstacles he faced, including community opposition and bureaucracy, and how he kept to the school's mission through them.
The book relies on personal anecdotes and specific cases, which may limit it for a general audience. For current and aspiring school leaders, though, it is honest storytelling with practical ideas you can act on.
Who it is for
Current and aspiring headteachers, and leaders in or considering trust leadership. The book draws on the author's time leading Mossbourne in Hackney, so it speaks most directly to leaders of urban schools serving disadvantaged communities; one endorsement on the listing, from Dame Joan McVittie, picks out anyone in leadership and those considering leading a trust.
About the book
- Author: Peter Hughes, described in the listing's author note as CEO of the Mossbourne Federation, a multi-academy trust in Hackney, and founder and CEO of Progress Teaching. The listing also names Danielle Lewis-Egonu as an author.
- Full title: Outstanding School Leadership: How to take your school to the top and stay there.
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Education. Paperback, 208 pages, published 7 December 2023 (ISBN 9781801993296); also available as an ebook.
Source: Amazon UK listing, used because the Bloomsbury page could not be fetched; checked 13 October 2026.