What Strong Headteachers Do in the First 10 Days

The first 10 days of the school year can reveal an enormous amount about your school culture, leadership and consistency.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 of Headship After Hours, Paul Collin explores what strong headteachers do differently at the beginning of a new school year — and why trying to launch every priority at once can actually weaken your start.Behaviour. Attendance. Teaching. Safeguarding. Systems. Vision. Values. The improvement plan.They all matter.But when everything becomes a priority, staff and students can struggle to understand what matters most.Paul explores five leadership principles for the first 10 days: creating simplicity around a small number of high-leverage behaviours, purposeful leadership visibility, recognising what is working, listening without constantly changing direction, and responding calmly when the first inevitable wobble arrives. You'll hear practical questions for headteachers and senior leaders around:school culture and consistencybehaviour expectations and routinesattendanceleadership visibilitystaff alignmentrecognitioncommunication with familiesresponding when systems are testedbuilding credibility with staff and pupilsThe goal isn't to win the entire year in 10 days.It's to establish the conditions that make the rest of the year possible.Because school culture isn't built by how strongly you launch. It's built by what adults repeat once the launch is over. 🎙️ Headship After Hours — honest conversations about school leadership and the realities of leading schools.00:00 – What the First 10 Days Reveal01:21 – Why September Gets Overloaded02:08 – Strong Leaders Create Simplicity04:59 – Why Adult Consistency Matters05:55 – Visible Leadership With Purpose07:00 – Recognise What Is Working07:53 – Listen Without Losing Direction08:43 – How Leaders Handle the First Wobble09:34 – 5 Questions to Ask Before the Year Begins