Better questions.
More purposeful action.
Short reflections for busy school leaders, focused on the decisions and routines behind improvement.
From completed activity to evidence of impact
“We contacted the family” describes an action. It does not yet tell us whether the barrier changed. A useful review asks what happened next, whose experience improved and what evidence supports that view.
At your next review, choose one completed action. Ask: what changed because we acted, and what does that tell us to do next?
Professional learning needs a next step
A useful development conversation ends with a manageable change in practice, support to try it and a chance to revisit what happened. The quality of that follow-through matters as much as the original feedback.
Ask: what will be different in practice, and when will we talk about it again?
Confidence in the judgement, confidence in the evidence
A positive evaluation can rest on limited evidence. Separating your judgement from confidence in the evidence helps identify what needs checking and where further professional challenge would be useful.
Ask: which conclusion would we be least confident defending, and what would strengthen it?