Tes Magazine Leadership Forum

A series of guides and interviews to help education leaders at all levels hone their skills and gain access to world-class expertise

Tuesday

2nd Sep 2025

Sir Jon Coles: ‘I don’t like the phrase impostor syndrome’
Our How I Lead series asks education leaders to reflect on their career, experience and leadership philosophy. This month, we talk to CEO of United Learning
Sir Jon Coles

Friday

29th Aug 2025

Why 20 years at a special school has been a joy and privilege
A teacher embarking on another year at a SEMH special school explains why we she fell in love with a challenging job – and keeps on coming back for more
Woman solving rubik's cube

Wednesday

27th Aug 2025

Becoming a headteacher: why I wanted to step up
A new head about to begin his first term in the hot seat reflects on why he wanted to make the move up at a time when leaders are under more pressure than ever
Baseball player at the plate

Monday

21st Jul 2025

4 ways to make the most of being an interim head
As his time at an international school in Mauritius comes to an end, Jonathan Taylor discusses the key ways a leader can have an impact during a short tenure
Model figures fixing bridge with jigsaw piece

Friday

18th Jul 2025

‘Thanks, teaching’: a love letter after a 36-year relationship
As she prepares to retire after almost four decades, MAT leader and former teacher Caroline Derbyshire pens a thank-you letter to a profession that has given her so much
Caroline Derbyshire: My love letter to teaching

Monday

14th Jul 2025

How to plan for change as a trust board
As Eko Trust and the Compass Partnership of Schools look ahead to a possible merger, the trusts’ leaders and trustees share what the process has taught them about how to plan for change
Paper arrow going forward

Tuesday

8th Jul 2025

Sir Michael Wilshaw: ‘Structure and discipline liberate children’
In our How I Lead series, we ask education leaders to reflect on their careers, their experience and their leadership philosophy. This month, we talk to Sir Michael Wilshaw, former chief inspector of Ofsted
Michael Wilshaw

Tuesday

1st Jul 2025

What if... schools were judged on pupil outcomes at 25 years old
As part of our thought experiment series, Julian Drinkall interrogates the practicality of judging schools on a student’s status at the age of 25
Pupils using measuring equipment

Friday

20th Jun 2025

How we’re helping leaders to become ‘architects of school culture’
Nord Anglia’s Dr Kate Erricker explains that the group is giving its leaders the tools to create collaborative school cultures – and why this is so important
Helping school leaders to build a strong school culture

Monday

16th Jun 2025

How to make EDI work in practice
For an academy trust board, an equality, diversity and inclusion policy is far more than a box-ticking exercise and it takes work to put it into practice, trustees tell Tes
TREE with different hands for leaves

Tuesday

10th Jun 2025

Estelle Morris: ‘I wish I had understood the impact of resigning on others’
Our How I Lead series asks education leaders to reflect on their career, experience and leadership philosophy. This month, we talk to former education secretary and teacher Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris How I lead

Tuesday

3rd Jun 2025

What if... parents had to sign a binding contract with schools 
As part of our thought experiment series, Michael McCarthy asks what role a contract between schools and parents might play in bringing clarity to the school-home relationship
What if... parents had to sign a binding contract with schools