Welcome to April’s issue of Leadership Focus.
Ofsted has rarely been out of the news in 2025, and it would be out of place for us not to extend a fair amount of this edition of Leadership Focus to Ofsted’s new proposed model of inspection, along with the concerns it has raised among NAHT members.
Our feature, which includes interviews with our general secretary and our team of in-house policy experts as well as school leaders themselves, points out the flaws and dangers of the new proposals, reflects on an opportunity missed and highlights what is required to achieve the much-needed reformation of school inspection as a whole.
We’re also delighted to be able to share a new feature spotlighting our incoming president Angi Gibson. A long-standing member of NAHT’s national executive, Angi shares her career journey with us and outlines her ambition as president to lead the union in restoring a sense of pride and joy to the profession.
Further down the same feature, we look ahead to NAHT’s Annual Conference, which takes place in Harrogate, Yorkshire, from 2 to 3 May 2025.
As ever, the conference is shaping up to be another festival of democracy, comprising a heady mix of debate, discussion and contemplation. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Rebuilding education, shaping futures’ and, as the title suggests, it will focus on how the profession can take an ambitious approach to reimagining both schools and the role that teachers and school leaders play within a new and greatly changed political landscape. It’s always the highlight of NAHT’s year, and we look forward to seeing many of our members attend as delegates.
Elsewhere in these digital pages, you’ll also find a highly interesting piece on how some schools have been breaking the mould of conventional working patterns and trialling nine-day fortnight and hybrid working models. School leadership and teaching are too often dismissed as professions that must conform to a traditional full-time, on-site model. In our feature, we explore whether this view is outdated and unnecessary. By sharing the experiences of those who have recently taken different approaches, we consider the benefits and opportunities that flexible working could bring to schools.
Finally, our ‘branch focus’ article looks at how, following a period of inactivity, NAHT’s Harrow branch is going from strength to strength. With a growing membership and increasing levels of political activity, it’s a great success story and a reminder of how our local branches are the lifeblood of our trade union.
We hope you enjoy this issue. As ever, if you have any feedback or ideas for subjects you’d like us to cover, I’d love to hear from you, so get in touch.
DAVID GILMORE
NAHT HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
Welcome to April’s issue of Leadership Focus.
Ofsted has rarely been out of the news in 2025, and it would be out of place for us not to extend a fair amount of this edition of Leadership Focus to Ofsted’s new proposed model of inspection, along with the concerns it has raised among NAHT members.
Our feature, which includes interviews with our general secretary and our team of in-house policy experts as well as school leaders themselves, points out the flaws and dangers of the new proposals, reflects on an opportunity missed and highlights what is required to achieve the much-needed reformation of school inspection as a whole.
We’re also delighted to be able to share a new feature spotlighting our incoming president Angi Gibson. A long-standing member of NAHT’s national executive, Angi shares her career journey with us and outlines her ambition as president to lead the union in restoring a sense of pride and joy to the profession.
Further down the same feature, we look ahead to NAHT’s Annual Conference, which takes place in Harrogate, Yorkshire, from 2 to 3 May 2025.
As ever, the conference is shaping up to be another festival of democracy, comprising a heady mix of debate, discussion and contemplation. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Rebuilding education, shaping futures’ and, as the title suggests, it will focus on how the profession can take an ambitious approach to reimagining both schools and the role that teachers and school leaders play within a new and greatly changed political landscape. It’s always the highlight of NAHT’s year, and we look forward to seeing many of our members attend as delegates.
Elsewhere in these digital pages, you’ll also find a highly interesting piece on how some schools have been breaking the mould of conventional working patterns and trialling nine-day fortnight and hybrid working models. School leadership and teaching are too often dismissed as professions that must conform to a traditional full-time, on-site model. In our feature, we explore whether this view is outdated and unnecessary. By sharing the experiences of those who have recently taken different approaches, we consider the benefits and opportunities that flexible working could bring to schools.
Finally, our ‘branch focus’ article looks at how, following a period of inactivity, NAHT’s Harrow branch is going from strength to strength. With a growing membership and increasing levels of political activity, it’s a great success story and a reminder of how our local branches are the lifeblood of our trade union.
We hope you enjoy this issue. As ever, if you have any feedback or ideas for subjects you’d like us to cover, I’d love to hear from you, so get in touch.
DAVID GILMORE
NAHT HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
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