Teach Secondary Issue 14.3

60% of teachers are making regular use of AI in their work (though 76% have yet to receive any training or formal guidance from their school) Source: Survey of 6,501 UK-based teachers by Twinkl between 15th and 22nd January 2025 School leadership isn’t just about strategy, policies and data – it’s deeply personal. Every decision youmake impacts not only the children in your care, but those you work with. This weight of responsibility can leave you drained, questioning your abilities and struggling to keep going. I know, because I’ve been there. As a headteacher, I experienced the sleepless nights, relentless pressure and intense self-doubt. But as I’ve grown older – and hopefully wiser – I’ve found that if we attend to our inner work, we can always find a way through the darkest times. TAKINGATOLL A school leader is expected to be both a visionary and a crisis manager. A source of strength for staff and a compassionate listener for students. However, unchecked stress cantake a toll on our professional performance and well-being. Exhaustion, self-doubt and the feeling that you’re carrying it all alone can lead to burnout – as shown by the high rates of attrition plaguing the profession. If this sounds familiar, then you’re not alone – and know that there’s another way. BUILDING RESILIENCE Resilience isn’t about simply ‘pushing through’ or pretending everything’s fine. True resilience comes fromacknowledging challenges and developing strategies to navigate themwith wisdom. Here are three key strategies that can help: 1. Recognise your emotional triggers – Pay attention to those moments when you feel most overwhelmed. Do they involve difficult conversations, or pressure tomeet unrealistic expectations? Recognising your triggers gives you the power to respond, rather than react. 2. Create space for reflection – It’s easy to get caught up in the constant firefighting of daily school life, but reflection is essential. Carve out time to pause and process your thoughts. This will help you regain clarity and perspective. 3. Build a Support Network – Don’t carry your burden alone. Seek out trusted colleagues, mentors or a coach who understands leadership realities. Sharing your challenges with someone who truly listens can be a powerful act of self-care. THE PATH FORWARD Unfortunately, there’s nomagic wand that will make the challenges of school leadership disappear – but by strengthening your inner resilience, you can navigate those challenges with greater confidence and purpose. You can lead not from exhaustion, but from wisdom, and create a school culture in which both you and your staff can thrive. If you’re looking for deeper insights into leading through adversity, my book Learning to Walk in the Dark explores how to find strength and clarity in life’s most challengingmoments. You can find out more about it via tinyurl.com/ts143-LL2. CLOSE-UPON... THE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT OF LEADERSHIP VIV GRANT IS AN EXECUTIVE COACH, AUTHOR, PUBLIC SPEAKER AND THE DIRECTOR OF INTEGRITY COACHING; FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT INTEGRITYCOACHING.CO.UK UCL researchers have identified what appears to be a widening gap inmaths attainment between girls and boys in England, with the latter scoring ‘significantly’ higher in Y5 and Y9 when compared to 2019. The researchers analysed the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) results, which grade countries on a ‘TIMSS scale’. Most countries score between 400 and 600 on said scale; the latest results for England saw boys score 538 inmaths, compared to 512 for girls – the largest gender differential out of all the countries participating . Indeed, it’s a marked difference from the last set of TIMSS results for England, published in 2020, where the difference was a much narrower 516 versus 514 respectively. It was a similar story in science, with boys in England scoring 538 compared to 524 for girls. In contrast, the 2019 results actually had girls edging ahead, with a score of 518 versus 515 for boys. Dr Jennie Golding, co-principal investigator at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education &Society, observed that, “ Over the last 20 years, boys and girls have achieved similar scores in TIMSS in bothmathematics and science. It is difficult to say exactly why this gap has opened up, but our findings point to some factors including confidence, a sense of belonging and absenteeism. However, more research is needed to understand the reasons fully and address this problem. ” The latest TIMSS research report can be read in full via tinyurl.com/ts143-LL5 77 teachwire.net/secondary L E A R N I N G L A B