Tag: Principal

Modern School Leadership That Lasts Beyond the Buzzwords

In the face of rising expectations and constant change, school leaders need more than quick fixes. Better Tomorrow Than You Today offers grounded strategies for modern school leadership focusing on deep change, teacher empowerment, personalised learning, and sustainable improvement. Based on lived experience across schools in Australia and abroad, this book is a practical guide to leading with purpose and making real progress that lasts.

Modern school leadership can feel overwhelming. Rising expectations, shrinking time, and constant demands create pressure that wears down even experienced leaders.

That’s why I wrote Better Tomorrow Than You Today. It’s for those who want school improvement to stick, not just survive another cycle of initiatives.

This book shares real stories from schools in Australia and internationally. Each chapter is a reflection grounded in practice. It is aimed at helping you take action, not just read theory.

Driving real change

Too often, we chase surface-level fixes. A new strategy here, a framework there, yet the core structures of the school remain untouched.

The book argues for second-order change. This means reshaping how your school thinks, learns, and leads. It focuses on building conditions where improvement is part of daily life.

Empowering teachers

Improvement starts with teachers. The book explores how modern school leadership can create job-embedded learning, inquiry-based practice, and shared growth.

Rather than delivering PD, it’s about building a culture where teachers study their impact, test their ideas, and grow together.

Implementing personalised learning

The factory model of education no longer fits. Today’s students need teaching that responds to their needs, interests, and pace.

Through practical examples, I show how schools can redesign timetables, assessments, and team structures to support personalised learning in real ways.

Building a strong foundation

Lasting school improvement isn’t luck, it’s built on five clear pillars:

  • High quality teaching and learning
  • Supporting and motivating staff
  • Servant leadership and community
  • Aligned systems and structures
  • A focus on learning and wellbeing

Each pillar includes prompts to assess what’s working, what’s fragile, and what to address next.

The leader’s mindset

A key theme across the book is that leaders must grow, too. Modern school leadership demands study, reflection, and a clear sense of purpose.

By staying grounded, open, and learning-focused, leaders influence others and help shape schools that get better every day.

If you want a practical resource grounded in lived experience, Better Tomorrow Than You Today is for you.

👉 Get the book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Tomorrow-Than-You-Today/dp/B09DN3BV4F

Final thought

What’s one area of school improvement you most want to strengthen this year?

Beyond Ken Robinson’s 2006 TED Talk

A recent professional conversation with a small group of staff members on what makes an outstanding school led to the realisation that next year will see the 10th anniversary of the Ken Robinson’s TED talk on changing educational paradigms. Given the focus on a technological revolution coupled with Mark Treadwell’s explanation of the paradigm shift in education we are experiencing right now in his text Whatever!: School Version 2.0 and other leading educationalists purporting the need to transform education systems the question seems to be lost in translation…. Has learning been transformed?

A recent staff discussion on what makes a school outstanding led to an unexpected milestone: next year marks a decade since Sir Ken Robinson’s now-iconic TED talk on changing educational paradigms. His call to rethink learning systems felt urgent at the time. Ten years later, we’re still asking—has learning been transformed?

Leading thinkers like Mark Treadwell, in Whatever!: School Version 2.0, described a clear educational shift aligned with the technological revolution. Others echoed the same message: schooling must change. But outside of isolated examples, where is that shift visible? Has anything truly changed at scale?

Are We Still in the Factory Model?

Despite bold reforms and increased attention to school improvement, the dominant system still leans heavily on standardised tests. The debate continues about their impact on learners, teachers, and long-term outcomes. At the same time, “personalised learning” is a phrase that pops up often in professional development. But is it more than a workshop slide? Has it become embedded practice, or is it just branding?

Walk into many classrooms and you may still find timetables, compliance, and bells dictating the pace of learning. Has the classroom really broken free from its industrial roots?

Revisiting the Call to Action

Perhaps it’s time to revisit Robinson’s message. His talk wasn’t just about innovation. It was about relevance, engagement, and recognising that learning is not a one-size-fits-all process. The conversation has never been more important, yet we still face the risk of talking the talk without walking the walk.

If we’re serious about transformation, we must ask more than whether we’ve changed the tools. We must ask if we’ve changed the experience for learners, not just leaders.

The Role of the Educational Leader?

Recently I finished re-reading one of my favourite reference books by Fullan and Hargreaves, “Professional Capital – Transforming Teaching in Every School”. It has, as its central message, putting teachers and teaching at the forefront of school improvement. Through the path of breaking down the barriers of classroom isolation and engaging in a collaborative culture of learning, raising teacher status will improve student achievement.

Rereading Professional Capital by Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves reminded me why this book remains a staple on my shelf. Its central message is clear: putting teachers and teaching at the heart of school improvement is not optional, it’s essential.

When teachers work in isolation, improvement stalls. When they collaborate, engage in meaningful dialogue, and share responsibility for learning, schools thrive. That’s the shift this book advocates: raising the status of teachers through a professional culture built on trust and support.

Start with the Teacher

Even a struggling teacher will bring about some student growth across a year. But in a truly great school, the bar is set much higher and that starts with how we support the people in front of students every day.

Here, the role of the educational leader becomes critical. Are they visible? Do they get into classrooms, ask questions, and lead learning? Or are they buried under bureaucracy, distant from daily practice? In high-performing schools, leaders and teachers work side by side. These are not schools built on compliance, but on shared purpose.

From Good Teachers to True Professionals

Fullan and Hargreaves urge schools to do more than develop good teachers. They call for professionals who think deeply, work collectively, and lead change. But that doesn’t happen without leadership.

Educational leaders need to model the same professional learning they expect from their teachers. It’s not enough to hand out resources and hope for improvement. Real growth comes from engaged, deliberate action: professional conversations, peer observations, and shared strategy.

The Leadership Gap

The book also highlights a persistent challenge: many leaders are promoted from roles with little connection to the work of developing teachers. When leadership pathways fail to build real instructional expertise, schools suffer. And with fewer aspiring leaders in the pipeline, we risk placing managers into executive roles without the skills to lead learning.

That gap is still visible in many schools. Professional Capital reminds us that sustained improvement comes from professionals leading professionals with learning, not logistics, at the core.

Hiring School Leaders Who Drive Change

The international school sector is an exciting playground for not only honing leadership skills but acquiring new ones. It is at this time of year when the focus begins to look at recruitment; both retaining and employing new staff. Classroom teachers, middle management leaders and even principals are at the mercy of interview panels.

The international school sector is an exciting playground for not only honing leadership skills but acquiring new ones. It is at this time of year when the focus begins to look at recruitment; both retaining and employing new staff. Classroom teachers, middle management leaders and even principals are at the mercy of interview panels.

But what do you look for when appointing? For me, regardless of the position we need to fill, I look for leadership qualities. Someone who will make a difference. I’m not looking for puppets who do move when strings are pulled. I need decision makers, innovators, creative thinkers and risk takers. I want someone who wants to make a difference and have the evidence to show they can.

I was once called a “Maverick” by an employer and I took that as a compliment even though I knew it was meant as a slur on my leadership. The connotation was that my visioning, decision making or leadership was being a principal that was independent, unorthodox or not in keeping with what other principals were doing. Therefore I was out of line. The message given clear; I was suppose to follow, not lead.

I was heartened when I stumbled across the thoughts of Kim Williams, the Australian Media Executive and Composer, in his autobiography. His views on leadership and the role of leaders moving their organisations struck a chord with me .

 Kim Campbell - Leadership

What resonates is his interpretation of and the confusion surrounding “busy” people. Too often leaders are busy doing “things” (managing) rather than building the path towards improvement (leadership). This is particularly important at the classroom level. You don’t want doers following, you want leaders acting, diagnosing, planning and intervening in the teaching/learning.

If you want improvement to be a key outcome then the need to appoint a leader rather than a manager, at any level of the organisation, is pivotal to your school’s success.

Developing a Strong School Leadership Vision

As a principal in a new school it is important that my school community is clear on what I stand for. This is not just about brainstorming a list of strategies and putting it into a plan. Its about exploring ideas and developing a clear vision.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
— Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

A school leadership vision is the foundation of a successful school. As a principal, my school community must understand what I stand for. A vision is more than a strategy—it’s a guiding force that shapes decision-making, school culture, and student success.

Why a School Leadership Vision Matters

Great school leaders visualise and articulate a clear future for their schools. A well-defined school leadership vision:
✔ Aligns staff, students, and parents around a shared purpose
✔ Provides direction for all decisions and actions
✔ Motivates the school community during challenges

Without a school leadership vision, schools risk drifting aimlessly—jumping from one initiative to another without a clear sense of purpose.

How to Develop a School Leadership Vision

A strong school leadership vision should:
📌 Be specific—outlining what the school will and won’t do
📌 Be future-focused—guiding progress over 3 to 5 years
📌 Be inspiring—helping staff and students stay motivated

The Danger of Leadership Without Vision

When I take on a new leadership role, I always think of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
“I don’t much care where –”
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

Without a school leadership vision, any path seems acceptable—but none lead to real improvement.

Vision Comes Before Strategy—Always

“If you have a clear vision, you will eventually attract the right strategy. If you don’t have a clear vision, no strategy will save you.”

Many schools focus on strategy first, leading to fragmented efforts. But a principal must first define a vision, then align strategies to achieve it.

The Leadership Challenge: What Do You Stand For?

As a school leader, defining your school leadership vision is essential. A clear vision attracts the right people, strategies, and decisions—ensuring every action supports long-term success.

What is your school leadership vision?

Transition Week

A positive part of being appointed as principal of a new school is not only the opportunity to build upon your current experience but also to learn new skills.

How you approach your new role will have lasting effects on your leadership influence. Reading the school culture incorrectly could put you on the back foot and inhibit the quality of your decision making.

For me, a necessary beginning point is to visit the new school. There is nothing more important than meeting the people you are going to work with, taking the opportunity to immerse yourself into the culture of the school and getting an intuitive feel for how things operate. Visiting the school allows you to begin to ‘get a handle’ on school logistics.

My recent “Transition Week” at dar al Marefa offered the unique opportunity to begin my leadership journey at the school on the right foot. While everyone will have a few tips for the new principal, after having had a few principal appointments over the years, I find the following four insights useful in shaping how you should approach your new appointment:

1. Understanding History. Beginning with previous school improvement plans a new principal can digest the thinking that has shaped the school to be what it is today. To make effective decisions, the new leader needs to know why things are the way they are. Take time to understand the traditions, celebrations and why things run the way they do.

2. Get to know your staff and school community. In the early stages, (commonly know as the honeymoon period), it is imperative to develop positive relationships with each member of the community. Don’t forget spending time in classrooms and the playground to get to know the students.

3. Get Learning. Discovering what you don’t know is a key task in the early days. Locating the paperwork should be an initial goal. Reading the paperwork is the next! Items from parent handbooks to teacher appraisal processes to curriculum expectations help to establish an understanding of the school and most importantly, the culture.

4. Gather relevant information to design a short term action plan. While the school may have an action plan, as a new leader you bring a new ‘vision’ to the school and, after listening and learning, you will begin to craft your own views on what ‘needs to be done’. Developing your own action plan will help to connect the dots and and allow you to focus on short achievable goals.

Everyone approaches their new appointment differently. Whatever action you take it is most important that the new leader enjoys coming to work each day. My transition week at dar al Marefa Private School was exciting  and immensely interesting. Many people to meet, many things to take in! From any aspect my new appointment is going to be challenging and loaded with learning opportunity. I have no doubt I will enjoy coming to work each day.

Researching the International School Sector

The hardest part of seeking your first international school leadership job is knowing where to start.

If you’re new to the international education scene, the search can be overwhelming. Different regions from Asia to the Middle East to the Americas offer different recruitment pathways. Without a clear direction, it’s easy to get lost. As the Cheshire Cat famously said in Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

Without clarity, hours of online searching may leave you right back where you began.

Step One: Know What You’re Looking For

Before clicking through job boards, ask yourself:

  • What do I want to get from this experience?
  • What type of school will support my values, style, and goals?
  • What cultural environment suits my family or personal circumstances?

Each international school is unique shaped by its leadership, ethos, student body, and parent community. Matching yourself to the right school matters just as much as landing the job itself.

Step Two: Use the Right Recruitment Platforms

Once I knew the type of school I was after, I narrowed my search. Below is a list of the most helpful platforms I used. Some require full applications, others just a CV. Some charge a fee, many don’t. In my experience, the free ones were often the most helpful.

Recommended Job Boards and Recruitment Agencies

Top tip: The agency that ultimately secured my role in Dubai was International Teachers Plus. Their support throughout the application and transition process was excellent.

Step Three: Research Before You Apply

When you find a potential role, go beyond the job ad. Learn about:

  • The school’s vision, culture, and leadership
  • Its student population and parent involvement
  • Staff structure and professional development opportunities
  • Current and future initiatives
  • The quality of communication and support

International job transitions are significant—for you and your family. Don’t just apply for a job. Choose a school that fits your values and aspirations.

Final Thought

Finding the right international role takes time, clarity, and a lot of research. But once you define what you want and use the right platforms, the path becomes clearer.

Happy hunting and may your next move be the right one.

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