Agree the purpose of the work before allocating tasks. Invite colleagues’ expertise and explain the reason for a change. Recognise that a primary subject leader may be supporting teachers across several subjects, while a secondary leader may be coordinating specialists with different experience and commitments.

A useful meeting: begin with a pupil-learning or pastoral question; examine a small amount of evidence; explore an approach; agree one action, support and review date. Circulate routine information separately when possible.

Ask: “What do you already know about this problem? What would make the proposed approach workable in your class or tutor group?”

1. Prepare: establish the facts, your remit and the relevant policy.
2. Describe: identify the specific practice and its effect; avoid labels about the person.
3. Listen: ask for the colleague’s perspective and check your understanding.
4. Agree: clarify the expected improvement, practical support and review point.
5. Follow through: record appropriately and seek senior support if the concern persists.

Example: “Several pupils could not start the task because the key vocabulary was unfamiliar. What did you notice? Let us plan how to introduce it, then check whether more pupils can begin independently.”

Use coaching where it helps professional learning. Required procedures take precedence for safeguarding, serious misconduct or other matters needing formal action.

Help colleagues understand how their expertise serves the mission. Include staff of all faiths and none in accessible induction and discussion, respecting their beliefs while explaining the responsibilities of working in a Catholic school.

Model learning yourself; arrange subject-specific support and protected collaboration. Check meeting demands, duplicative assessment and resource preparation. Recognise teaching assistants, technicians, office and site teams as contributors with valuable knowledge.

Reflect: “Does my leadership make it easier for colleagues to do thoughtful work, and am I noticing the work that is often invisible?”

Primary: trace important knowledge from early foundations through later year groups. Check that schemes translate into coherent teaching and that colleagues know the subject sufficiently well. Review what pupils bring to secondary transition.

Secondary: examine the relationship between KS3, examination courses and later pathways. Check that short-term examination pressures preserve breadth, depth and access. Support specialist and non-specialist colleagues with the knowledge needed to teach well.

Both: work with the SENCO and teachers to identify barriers, adapt teaching and retain meaningful ambition. Consult pupils about the tasks, resources and classroom experiences that help them learn. Distinguish difficulty accessing a task from lack of capacity to learn.

• English and languages: develop close reading and responsible expression; examine voice, representation and persuasion through texts taught with literary and linguistic depth.
• Mathematics: develop secure reasoning for every pupil; where relevant, interrogate misleading graphs, averages, risk or financial claims and explain the limits of conclusions.
• Science: teach accurate enquiry and distinguish evidence from interpretation and moral judgement; consider ethical applications without substituting religious claims for scientific explanation.
• History and geography: investigate sources, power, migration, conflict and environmental change with disciplinary precision and attention to varied human experiences.
• Arts, technology and computing: connect skill, creativity and critical judgement with beauty, accessibility, materials, privacy and the effects of design on people.
• PE and sport: develop competence and fair competition; investigate participation and belonging so that confidence, disability or cost do not routinely exclude pupils.

Team task: bring one unit of work. Identify the knowledge pupils need, the human questions genuinely arising from it, and one teaching choice that improves access or depth. Avoid adding tenuous faith references to every lesson.

Combine pupil work, curriculum conversations, classroom evidence and assessment information. Establish what pupils understood and what they can now do, rather than equating completed activities with learning.

Primary example: moderate a small sample across adjacent year groups to check progression and identify a misconception. Plan targeted support for teaching it.

Secondary example: compare responses to an important concept across classes; check curriculum coverage and assessment comparability before drawing conclusions. Avoid treating a class average as a judgement on a teacher.

Pastoral example: review attendance, incidents, pupil feedback and support together. Ask whose experience remains poor despite improved headline figures.

Keep evidence proportionate. Agree monitoring processes with senior leaders, protect confidentiality and recognise the limits of a small sample. Assess RE learning; do not grade pupils’ personal faith or sincerity of prayer.

Colleagues are enthusiastic, but pupils struggle to explain what they learned last year. Some teachers lack confidence in the subject.

Explore: what is the progression problem? What expertise and time do colleagues need? How can you preserve enthusiasm while improving learning?

Possible next step: agree one important concept, map its development through year groups and co-plan a short sequence. Review pupil explanations and teaching experience before extending the approach.

A proposed intervention would remove some pupils from a valued curriculum or enrichment experience. Leaders want to improve outcomes.

Explore: what evidence supports the intervention? Who loses access? What are the educational and pastoral consequences? What alternatives are available?

Possible next step: present a supported, time-limited option to senior leaders, including pupil experience and evaluation. Maintain legitimate ambition for results and the whole person.

A pupil receives repeated sanctions. Staff feel unsupported and the pupil says nobody listens.

Explore: what must happen immediately to keep people safe? What patterns, learning barriers or safeguarding concerns need investigation? Who should coordinate support?

Possible next step: follow policy, consult the relevant pastoral, SEND or safeguarding colleagues, and agree a consistent plan with clear responsibilities. Respect those harmed and review whether the pupil receives the support needed to change.

A colleague describes your new approach as extra work and continues with existing practice.

Explore: is the purpose clear? Is the concern justified? Does the colleague need expertise, time or a different resource? What authority do you hold?

Possible next step: meet privately, listen, explain the agreed expectation and resolve practical barriers. Agree a review point and involve your line manager where needed.