New headteacher resource hub
Hit the ground running with our resources and advice to help you in your new role as a headteacher.
Tackle your new role and responsibilities 1 step at a time.
Get to grips with your key tasks, and use our templates, checklists and guides to help you save time and move forward with confidence.
Introducing yourself
Get up to speed on what to do before you start, as well as the documents you’ll need to familiarise yourself with.
Download a checklist of important termly tasks, and find out what to ask your new senior leadership team.
New headteachers: taking your first steps
Use our checklist to find out what to do before you start, and get guidance on what you should prioritise in the early weeks of headship - so you can confidently hit the ground running in your new headteacher role.
Termly tasks for headteachers: autumn 2023
Keep on top of your regular and unique tasks for this autumn term with our downloadable checklist.
New headteacher: questions to ask your SLT
Ask your senior leadership team (SLT) these questions in the early days of headship so you can learn more about how your leadership team works, the strengths and weaknesses of your staff, and the school's context.
Remind yourself of the important documents that you'll need to be familiar with in your new role.
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE): summary
Read the key points in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2023 and know where to look for information on specific areas of safeguarding in the statutory guidance.
SEND Code of Practice: a summary
Read our summary to help you comply with the SEND Code of Practice. Find out how the EHC assessment process works, and share our handout with staff to help them understand their responsibilities under the code.
Ofsted inspection framework: what it means for your school
Get to grips with the current inspection framework and the 4 judgement areas that inspectors will look at. Understand the difference between 'intent', 'implementation' and 'impact', and use our prompts to make sure you're on top of these key curriculum concepts.
Conditions of service for teachers: the STPCD and the Burgundy Book
Find out whether the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) and Burgundy Book apply in your school and get an overview of the key requirements they cover.
Working together to improve school attendance: the DfE's expectations
Get to grips with the DfE's guidance on maintaining high levels of attendance. Be clear on what you're expected to do, including building relationships with families, developing a whole-school approach and analysing data.
There are lots of updates to guidance, requirements and government policy to keep track of. Take a look at our summaries of important documents that have changed this year, and what they mean for you and your school.
Select 'save for later' at the top of the article pages, and we'll send you an email if there's another update.
Ofsted: latest updates
Stay up to date with all things Ofsted.
Political party manifestos and their impact on education
The next general election must be held by 28 January 2025, although it’s likely to come sooner. Get to grips with what each party has promised for schools in England, and what these changes could mean for your school.
Academy Trust Handbook: changes from September 2023
Changes to the Academy Trust Handbook 2023 include looser requirements on sharing management accounts with your board, a higher threshold for related party transaction value before ESFA approval is necessary, and a new list of estates guidance to apply.
Suspensions and exclusions guidance: changes from September 2023
Updated guidance on suspensions and exclusions will come into effect on 1 September 2023, for new cases arising from that point onwards. Here we help you sort through what's changed and what hasn't so you can start the new year with confidence.
Track monthly tasks and read expert advice on the main points you’ll need to consider throughout the year. Use our budget planner and annual to-do list to help you.
Budget planning: how-to and templates
Get to grips with your budget planning. Use our template 5-year budget plan spreadsheets to help you model a range of scenarios and then cost your chosen one in detail.
Budget management: annual to-do list and guidance
Download and use our budget checklist to track tasks by month across the financial year, and get advice on the main things you need to consider.
School budget monitoring: questions to discuss
With finances squeezed, use this guide to help you make the most of your budget monitoring meetings. See what to cover and use our questions to help you spot issues and identify next steps.
Use these templates and advice to help you report to your governors on key areas, including curriculum, budget and pupil achievement.
Headteacher’s report to the governing board: guidance and template
Download our template to help you report to your board – it includes the topics you'll likely cover. Find out how to make sure you give your governors what they need to do their job well.
Finance: reports to governors
There's no statutory guidance on what you should report to your governors' finance committee. Use our template to help you set out your report and find out what you could share alongside it.
Presenting your budget to governors: templates
Keep your governors fully informed about your budget planning and decision-making with our downloadable templates. You'll find a detailed budget planner, and a planning report that will help you explain your budget planning decisions.
SEND: reports to governors
Download our SEND report to governors template, which has space to record your school's SEND profile and progress information. See examples of reports from schools to help you decide what to include.
Plan for your appraisal and career development
Once you've got the basics down, use these guides, tools and templates to plan for the year ahead and beyond.
School year planner for 2023/24: template
Use our editable, printable 2023/24 calendars to keep up with important dates and deadlines for your primary, secondary or all-through school. They include statutory deadlines, religious holidays, and national and international initiatives.
Self-evaluation form (SEF): checklists and template
Use our checklists to help you evaluate your school against the Ofsted framework. Download our template SEF, which includes Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and post-16 provision. Plan monitoring activities, plus see examples of SEFs from a range of schools.
How to develop your long-term strategic plan
Long-term strategic planning will give you an overview of the direction of your school improvement over the next 3 to 5 years. Find out how to develop a robust plan that will help you achieve your school's vision. Plus, download our template plan to save you time writing your own.
Writing an effective SIP: planning guide
Be confident that your school improvement plan (SIP) is set up for success. Use our tools to narrow down competing priorities, develop achievable actions and create SMART targets, so you don't risk overburdening your staff and can keep on track with your long-term goals.
School improvement plan: template, checklist and monitoring guidance
Download one of our school improvement plan (SIP) templates and use our checklist to help you evaluate your SIP. Also learn how you can monitor its implementation.
How to develop and embed your school's vision
Collaborate with governors to develop a vision that represents where your school aspires to be. Turn your aspirations into reality by keeping your vision at the heart of every decision you make and bringing your community on board.
You can find more support in your new role with a Whole School membership of The Key. Get access to safeguarding resources, CPD, and governance support.
Find the information you need, and share our resources with your team to keep everyone on the same page, such as:
Stay on top of safeguarding with our training calendar
