Steve Willshaw: What Secondary Schools Miss About Reading

What do schools really know about their readers?In this episode of Headship After Hours, Paul is joined by Steve Willshaw to explore reading culture, literacy leadership, school transition and the importance of recognising the rich reading histories that pupils bring with them into secondary education.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 visitDetailed, school-specific reportFollow-up strategy sessionPractical leadership tools for a clear 90-day planTypically valued at £1,000 — currently funded for eligible schools.Apply here → https://atrejwhi.formester.com/f/hwL9GCyin/In this episode, Steve shares the story behind the nationally recognised Rooted in Reading project and explains why reading passports, transition work and intellectual equity matter more than ever in today's schools. Together, they discuss how schools can create stronger reading cultures, support literacy development and ensure that young people are not treated as blank slates when they move between phases of education. The conversation also explores Steve's four leadership pillars:• Radical Simplicity• Intellectual Equity• Relational Agency• Professional CraftAlongside a deep dive into Functional Fluency, coaching, behaviour, relationships and how educators can move from reacting to responding. This episode is for headteachers, literacy leaders, English teachers, curriculum leaders and anyone passionate about reading, equity and school improvement.🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, culture, attendance, behaviour and sustainable school improvement.00:00 – The Reading Histories Schools Miss01:12 – Steve Willshaw’s Journey Into Education03:03 – Inclusivity, Equity and Early Leadership Lessons05:26 – Keeping Leadership Simple06:43 – The Four Leadership Pillars08:32 – The Story Behind Rooted in Reading12:53 – Reading Passports and Literacy Culture16:24 – Why Reading Transition Matters19:30 – Professional Craft and School Context20:31 – What Is Functional Fluency?25:11 – Radical Simplicity Explained26:20 – Intellectual Equity and Ambitious Curriculum30:41 – Relational Agency in Schools32:34 – Professional Craft and Teacher Development36:32 – The Functionally Fluent Teacher43:31 – Steve’s Advice for School Leaders46:20 – Respond More, React Less#HeadshipAfterHours #Literacy #SchoolLeadership #ReadingForPleasure #EducationPodcast #SchoolImprovement #Curriculum #ReadingCulture #Transition #SteveWillshaw