Matthew Lane's "Wayfinder: Leading Curriculum Vision into Reality" is a detailed guide for school leaders taking a curriculum change from vision to practice. It has three sections.
The first, "Being a leader and manager of change", looks at the difference between managing and leading, with an emphasis on emotional intelligence and servant leadership. Lane's starting point is that thoughtful, compassionate leadership comes before meaningful change.
The second, "Making change happen", sets out a step-by-step strategy for implementation. Lane acknowledges the difficulties that will arise, such as opposition and getting staff to adopt the change, and includes chapters on planning, writing change plans and the stages of implementation.
The third, "Tools for supporting change", turns to tactics: finding, creating and delivering CPD, plus recommendations on logistics and curriculum documentation. This is the section readers can apply straight away.
We recommend "Wayfinder" for its careful planning, thoroughness and grasp of what school leaders need when leading change.
About the book
- Author: Matthew Lane. The publisher says he draws on a decade of leadership experience in schools and the armed forces.
- Who the publisher pitches it at: new subject leads through to experienced headteachers. Its description also mentions design testing, overcoming resistance to change and using coaching to support staff.
- Publisher: John Catt Educational (Hachette). Paperback published 25 August 2023, ISBN 9781915261977; also available as an ebook.
Source: publisher listing on Bookends (Hachette UK), checked 13 October 2026.