A little bit about why I’ve been away. It’s been a tough year, but I’ve made it through. secretheadteacher.org/2025/0…

Diving back into Phoenix Nights for a rewatch. Pull off into paradise. It’s just brilliant.

If you’ve got a case of the Sunday dreads… 1) it’s normal, it’s not just you. Everyone feels it sometimes. 2) it’ll be OK, fear of the wolf is almost always worse than the wolf itself 3) the kids will be thrilled to see you Now, do something to enjoy your evening!

Lunch dinner duty on Friday. Delightful little Year 1 girl approaches. ‘You’ve got a fat tummy, just like my daddy!’ Brilliant. Diet it is then.

There’s no way it’s only been two and half weeks.

If you want to live dangerously, laminate without using the cardboard pouch. You’ll never feel more alive.

Man, if only communication, presentation skills, public speaking, forward planning, adaptive and dynamic thinking, flexibility, project planning, teamwork, resilience and relationship building were transferable skills. I was sold the myth big time.

Teachers almost never leave teaching because of the teaching bit.

Promised Transparency Needs attention 🟠 @SchoolsWeek

It’s about now the new reception children realise they have to keep coming every day.

7 out of 10 parents said they preferred the new Ofsted framework.

Tip for you all… Forget threatening to keep them in at break on Monday, just threaten that they’ll have to watch a replay of England v Andorra. That’ll stop them.

I have not completed Park Run this morning.

Did somebody say Just Eat?

Love the first inset day. Love seeing everyone together. Love the buzz.

I remember my first day as a head. I didn’t assembly first thing in the morning. Everyone left the hall, and I was in there alone feeling as lonely as I ever had, not really sure what to do with myself without a class. Very odd feeling.

Huge win.

If you are planning Inset this week… Get in, say what you have to say, do what you need to do, get out again. Give the rest of the time for people to use. Don’t complicate it.

Wait…what? Barry Scott’s name isn’t Barry Scott? Everything I thought I knew is a lie.

The perfect teacher doesn’t exist. Don’t try to be one. It’s unachievable. Don’t beat yourself up about it.

Good relationships, fun, laughter filled and happy classrooms are not mutually exclusive from firm and clear boundaries with high expectations of behaviour. In the best classrooms the two co-exist perfectly. Relationships are key, but they’ve got to be properly structured.