400 women leaders, 30 networks, 19 countries, and one weekend. On 2-4th October 2020, WomenEd held our first global unconference, a shining example of a positive development in Covid-19 times! What is WomenEd? WomenEd is a not-for-profit grassroots movement supporting aspiring and existing women leaders in education. WomenEd started in 2015: 7 female education leaders … Read more

Effectiveness without values is a tool without a purpose. Edward de Bono Tweet Every school has its own culture which is expressed in the form of the values that they expect the staff, students, and leaders to learn and show. But too often they are chosen because they sound good, or they suggest a strong … Read more

I originally wrote this blog in 2018 for another website, but it is still relevant today, so I am sharing it again. I will share my morning routine, the things that I do to ensure my mind is right for the day ahead. The time I get up is irrelevant, there are those that advocate … Read more

This post was first published in May 2020 by Toria Bono, just after VE Day, but given recent events is worth revisiting. Have we learned any lessons since then? Is history repeating itself? Some lessons are more important. It’s Saturday evening, and sitting here with what I can only describe as a ‘fuzzy head’ from … Read more

Labels are a useful way of identifying things, particularly if you want to find them again. At school, you beg children to label their clothing to avoid the huge pile of smelly articles that need sorting at the end of each term. However, they are far less useful when used to describe yourself or others.  … Read more

Collaboration: (intransitive verb) to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavour While ‘working jointly’ is what defines collaboration, does that necessarily make it more valid? I would proffer, no. It’s a term thrown about all too casually these days as if because something was done with the term “collaboration” attached, it, … Read more

Leadership is often spoken about as though it is something you will undoubtedly attain – that golden chalice of being an exceptional leader being just a simple mix of determination and a few well-worn books away. In reality, the path to gaining a leadership role in education is far from easy. Navigating the complex world … Read more

The start of the new school year often sees the return to the performance management cycle. But with such a disrupted second half of the academic year, many heads, schools and MATs are rethinking their approach. This post takes a look at an alternative to traditional performance management that might be exactly what you are … Read more