School leadership topics
Choose one topic, then narrow. Start with one of 26 focused guides, or find your topic in the A–Z.
Focused guides
26 topics with a longer guide, plus the resources, articles and partner products behind each one.
- Safeguarding and DSL leadershipKeeping children safe in education 2026 has applied to schools in England since 1 September 2026. What changed, what to check this term and the common pitfalls, with the paragraph numbers to look up.
- Ofsted report cards, the toolkit and the renewed inspection frameworkOfsted no longer gives a school in England a single overall grade. A full inspection now ends in a report card: a grade for each evaluation area on a five-point scale, from ‘exceptional’ to ‘urgent improvement’, with safeguarding reported separately as ‘met’ or ‘not met’.
- Wellbeing for school leadersThe DfE’s education staff wellbeing charter, what Ofsted’s toolkit looks for and pupils’ mental health in KCSIE 2026, with what to do this term, for schools in England.
- SEND in England: the code of practice, the graduated approach and where reform standsThe SEND code of practice and the law behind it still apply in England. The reforms the government set out in February 2026 are proposals: it does not expect new legislation to take effect until September 2029, and it has not yet published its response to the consultation.
- Primary assemblies and collective worshipThe law on daily collective worship in England, what to check this term and the common pitfalls, with primary assembly packs for the school year.
- Workload reduction for school leadersWhat the teachers’ pay and conditions document and Ofsted’s toolkit say about workload in schools in England, what to check this term and the DfE’s free toolkits.
- SIAMS inspections: what Church schools need to know (England)Who receives a SIAMS inspection, what inspectors explore, how J1 and J2 judgements are made and how school leaders prepare using the National Society’s guidance.
- Teachers’ and school leaders’ pay and conditions 2026/27 (England)STPCD 2026 sets out teacher and school leader pay ranges, allowances, PPA and directed time in England. Check the figures and calculate a teacher’s pro rata allowance.
- School attendance: the statutory guidance, registers, absence codes and penalty notices (England)Who is responsible for attendance, which register codes to use, when absence becomes persistent or severe, and how the national penalty notice framework works.
- School health and safety: risk assessments, fire safety and responsibilities (England)Who carries the employer's duties, what to record in risk assessments and a risk register, where to find official examples and templates, and how fire safety, RIDDOR, asbestos and first aid duties apply in schools.
- EYFS: statutory framework, reception baseline assessment and profile (England)The EYFS framework in force from September 2026, reception baseline assessment dates for 2026 to 2027, and the profile, staffing and safeguarding requirements for primary headteachers and EYFS leads.
- Alternative provision: duties, commissioning and pupils' education (England)Who must arrange alternative provision, what to check before commissioning a placement, and how to oversee pupils' education, attendance and reintegration into school.
- Allergy safety in schools and Benedict’s Law (England)What Benedict’s Law requires now, who is responsible for allergy safety, and how school policies, healthcare plans, staff training and spare adrenaline auto-injectors fit together.
- English as an additional language (EAL) in schools: definitions, data and duties (England)What EAL means in the school census, how to record first language, national pupil numbers, funding and what inspectors look for in teaching and support.
- Free breakfast clubs in primary schools (England)Which schools can receive funding, what the free club must provide, how charging works alongside paid childcare, and which parts of the breakfast club legislation are in force.
- Early career teacher induction (England)ECT induction normally lasts two school years. Arrange the appropriate body, tutor, mentor and reduced timetable before induction starts, then review progress against the Teachers’ Standards throughout. The rules below cover part-time service, extensions and short-term supply.
- The Equality Act 2010 and the public sector equality duty in schools (England)What the public sector equality duty (PSED) means for schools in England, which schools must publish equality information and objectives, and the duties towards disabled pupils.
- SEN provision maps and SEN support: what the SEND Code of Practice says (England)Provision maps and provision mapping: what to record for SEN support, how to connect assessment and review, and what to publish in the SEN information report.
- School performance and inspection data: IDSR, ASP, VYED and KS2 results (England)Find your school's IDSR and access ASP data through VYED. Understand pupil progress, KS2 results and scaled scores, and common transfer files (CTF).
- The school year: school days, INSET days and term dates (England)Maintained schools in England must hold at least 380 sessions in a school year, normally 190 days. Check INSET days, term dates and closures.
- KS2 SATs: 2026 results, scaled scores and 2027 test dates (England)Find national KS2 SATs results, understand test scores and plan the 2027 assessment year: test week, access arrangements, teacher assessment and the multiplication tables check.
- School financial reporting: CFR, AAR, SFVS and benchmarking (England)Consistent financial reporting and academies accounts returns: who submits what, SFVS deadlines, school budget oversight, financial administration manuals and where to benchmark spending.
- Teachers’ Standards (England) and Headteachers’ standards 2020The teaching standards and professional conduct expected of teachers, how they are used in qualification, induction and appraisal, and the additional responsibilities set out for headteachers.
- Pupil premium 2026–27: rates, eligibility, strategy statement (England)Who attracts pupil premium, how free school meals (FSM) eligibility affects funding, the rates, permitted spending and what to publish in the strategy statement.
- Single central record (SCR) for schools in EnglandWho must be on the single central record, which checks to record for each group, and what to keep on file under Keeping children safe in education.
- Free school meals (FSM): eligibility, checks and school duties (England)Who qualifies for free school meals, how eligibility checking and census records work, and what schools must provide following the Universal Credit expansion.
All topics and guides
Find a topic page or a focused guide.
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- OfstedGuide
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- SafeguardingGuide
- SaturdayEduChat
- School attendance: the statutory guidance, registers, absence codes and penalty notices (England)Guide
- School Culture
- School financial reporting: CFR, AAR, SFVS and benchmarking (England)Guide
- School health and safety: risk assessments, fire safety and responsibilities (England)Guide
- School Improvement
- School Leadership
- School performance and inspection data: IDSR, ASP, VYED and KS2 results (England)Guide
- SDIP
- Security
- Self-evaluation
- SEN provision maps and SEN support: what the SEND Code of Practice says (England)Guide
- SENCO
- SENDGuide
- SIAMS inspections: what Church schools need to know (England)Guide
- Single central record (SCR) for schools in EnglandGuide
- Staffing
- Standards
- Sustainability
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- Teachers’ and school leaders’ pay and conditions 2026/27 (England)Guide
- Teachers’ Standards (England) and Headteachers’ standards 2020Guide
- Teaching & Learning
- The Equality Act 2010 and the public sector equality duty in schools (England)Guide
- The school year: school days, INSET days and term dates (England)Guide
- Twitter Spaces
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