Show Notes
What really changes a school? After more than 26 years in education, including 10 years as a headteacher, Paul Collin reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped his career and why sustainable school improvement always begins with people.
Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance.
The harder truth: so much of it often rests on one or two people — and when that's the case, it never feels steady, however hard everyone works.
That's the work I do. I run a funded Senior Attendance & Leadership Resilience Check for headteachers and trust leaders in complex schools.
It starts with a short strategic assessment. For eligible schools, it opens into a full process:
On-site school visit Detailed, school-specific report Follow-up strategy session Practical leadership tools for a clear 90-day plan Typically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools.
Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/
In this conversation, Paul discusses school culture, leadership, behaviour, attendance, relationships, teacher development, school improvement and why young people thrive when they feel genuinely valued. The discussion explores: • Why culture matters more than quick fixes • Building sustainable school improvement • Relationships before behaviour • Leadership beyond job titles • Why attendance starts with belonging • Developing teachers through coaching rather than pressure • Why schools must create environments where young people can succeed Whether you're a headteacher, teacher, trust leader or aspiring leader, this conversation offers practical insights into building schools where both staff and pupils thrive.
00:00 – Why School Culture Changes Everything 01:48 – Introducing Paul Collin 02:40 – Who Is Paul Outside Education? 05:10 – When Headship Becomes Your Identity 06:14 – Work-Life Integration for School Leaders 08:43 – 26 Years in Education & 10 Years in Headship 11:54 – Why Paul Left Headship 14:28 – The Truth About School Improvement Consultancy 17:18 – Leadership, Trusts and Executive Leadership 19:23 – Should CEOs Have Teaching Experience? 23:20 – Why Relationships Matter More Than Behaviour 24:31 – Attendance, Leadership and School Improvement 25:36 – Why Teachers Must Keep Growing 27:40 – Dream-Weaving: The Teachers We Never Forget 29:52 – Behaviour Is an Outcome, Not the Problem 35:21 – Culture Is the Foundation of School Improvement 36:01 – What Excites Paul About Transforming Schools 37:45 – Why You Can't Rush School Improvement 39:32 – The First Thing to Fix in Any School 41:05 – Why Uniform Still Matters 46:30 – Standards, Pride and Professionalism 50:58 – Rethinking 'Disadvantage' in Education 52:30 – Closing the Attainment Gap 57:18 – The Education White Paper 01:01:30 – The Questions We Should Ask Pupils 01:04:25 – Mobile Phones, Schools and Social Media 01:10:00 – What Makes a Great Teacher? 01:20:00 – The Power of Relationships in Schools 01:30:40 – Why Headship After Hours Exists
More from Headship After Hours
Staff workload in schools isn't always visible — and even the clearest school improvement priorities can fail when hidden work consumes your team's time and attention.
School attendance problems aren't always caused by a lack of motivation. Sometimes they're caused by barriers that build up throughout a pupil's day. In this solo episode of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin introduces the idea of attendance friction and challenges headteachers to look beyond attendance percentages to understand why pupils struggle to get through the school gate. A pupil might be anxious about an unfinished homework task, worried about being late, struggling with transport or concerned about how adults will respond when they return after an absence. Individually, these may seem like small problems. Together, they can make attending school feel overwhelming. Paul explores: Why attendance data doesn't always reveal the real barriers
What does great teaching actually look like — and are schools sometimes turning good ideas into rigid routines?
What happens when school leaders refuse to put a ceiling on what children can achieve?
Does your school genuinely have an attendance system — or does one highly capable person quietly hold the whole thing together? Most heads aren't short on effort when it comes to attendance.