Show Notes
This episode came about after I was asked to lead an hour long training session (with out fabulous Trust Inclusion Lead- shout out to Beth!!) with staff in primary and secondary schools on how to create a culture of belonging.
We know that inclusion sits at the very core of the renewed inspection framework and so it's important that we all understand how we can demonstrate the very best inclusion practice for the most vulnerable learners in our care. However, it's absolutely not just for Ofsted... it's about our moral purpose - to ensure that the most vulnerable get the very best start possible - equity rather than equality.
In this week's episode, I unpack what it means to be really inclusive. We consider each of the statutorily vulnerable groups of learners and how we can best support each one. We also learn how to identify other vulnerable groups in our own settings in addition to this - which is really important, if we are going to be forensically inclusive. At the heart of this episode is the idea that if we get it right for our most vulnerable pupils, we get it right for everyone.
For premium members, you get the full slide deck and a training script so that you can bring your whole staff team up to speed with how to support the most vulnerable learners to achieve, belong and thrive. If you're wondering about how to become a premium member, you can join here for the small cost of £11 a month. You'll receive weekly leadership tools including training slides/scripts linked to each episode or other usual tools such as audits, guides and exemplar materials.
Join here: https://the-leadership-lens.mykajabi.com/podcasts/the-leadership-lens/episodes/2149171582
More from The Leadership Lens
In this episode of The Leadership Lens, we explore the powerful ideas behind Talking to Crazy by Mark Goulston and what school leaders can learn about managing emotionally heightened conversations with parents.
Beyond Labels: Getting Inclusion Right for Children Known or Previously Known to Social Care
🎧 The Leadership Lens Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Why Getting the Right People Matters – and Why Keeping Them Matters Even More
I Thought We Had Our Personal Development Offer Sorted… Then I Properly Looked at It
In last week’s episode, I explored why so many school development plans don’t quite do what we hope they will. We looked at the idea that we often focus too heavily on goals, rather than the day-to-day systems and habits that actually drive change in schools. We also reframed the starting point for planning away from “what do we want to achieve?” and towards “what are our persistent problems?” This week builds directly on that thinking. Because once you’ve identified your persistent problems, the next step is deciding what to do about them. That’s the moment where most plans either become genuinely powerful… or quietly fall apart. In this episode, I introduce the concept of premortems, a simple but incredibly powerful way of strengthening your school improvement plans before you implement them. Rather than waiting to evaluate something after it hasn’t worked, a premortem asks you to imagine that your plan has already failed, and then work backwards to understand why. It sounds uncomfortable, and it is, but that discomfort is exactly where the insight sits. In this episode, I explore: Why we tend to move too quickly from identifying problems to implementing solutions What a premortem is and where it comes from How premortems create space for honest, risk-aware thinking within leadership teams A step-by-step walkthrough of how to run a premortem effectively in your school A detailed school-based example focused on improving reading fluency in lower KS2 Three non-examples of premortems that look right on the surface but fail in practice — and what goes wrong in each case How to use premortems to strengthen your school development plan before it reaches the classroom 🧠 Key takeaway Identifying the right problem is only half the work. Designing the right response, and properly stress-testing that response before you implement it, is where school improvement either succeeds or quietly falls apart. Premortems help you do exactly that. 💡 Premium Membership If you want to take this straight into your own setting, this week’s premium resource is designed to do exactly that. As a premium member, you’ll receive: A full slide deck that walks you step-by-step through the premortem framework Clear guidance on how to structure and facilitate the session with your team A resource you can use immediately in SLT meetings or wider leadership discussions Premium membership also gives you access to the full back catalogue of 36 episodes, each with accompanying resources including: Training scripts Slide decks School development frameworks Practical tools you can use straight away Topics covered include safeguarding, behaviour, personal development, curriculum design, retrieval practice, alternative provision, and much more. 👉 You can join here: https://the-leadership-lens.mykajabi.com/premium-membership It’s £11 per month, and each week you’ll receive a resource linked directly to the episode, designed to support your work as a school leader in a practical, usable way.