EPISODE SUMMARY Leading a school when no one trust you yet. With James Kerfoot.

You walk into a school that is struggling. Everyone knows it, and everyone wants you to fix it fast. But the people you are asking to lead that change don’t trust you yet.

So, what do you do? Move quickly and risk losing your team, or slow down and risk losing the school?

In this episode, Jacqui and Jane sit down with James Kerfoot former headteacher across three secondary schools and current Executive Principal to examine what trust actually looks like when the pressure is high and time is running out. We bypass the superficial answers and confront the structural realities: the flaw of short-term accountability frameworks, the myth of the quick turnaround, and the uncomfortable question every leader must eventually ask: What if the lack of trust in your school is rooted in something you are doing?

KEY THINKING SPACES & HIGHLIGHTS

• The 3-to-5-Year Reality vs. Short-Term Pressure: Why system mechanics push strong leaders away from the schools that need them most, and why true cultural transformation cannot be rushed.
• The "Messy Middle" Phase: Navigating the three distinct stages of turnaround leadership: high pace, the messy middle, and the green shoots.
• The Perception Gap: DfE data shows over 80% of leaders believe their schools are calm daily, while barely 50% of teachers agree. What happens when both realities exist simultaneously?
• Credibility on the Ground: Why leading from behind a desk destroys trust, and why rolling up your sleeves on a rainy Friday afternoon matters more than any PowerPoint presentation.
• The ESP Framework for Courageous Conversations: How to handle necessary, uncomfortable accountability with empathy, clarity, and speed.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS FOR LEADERS

Use these questions to test your own leadership judgment this week:

1. If a staff member disagrees with your direction, are they being heard, or are you simply delaying action while waiting for them to comply?
2. When was the last time you publicly acknowledged a leadership decision that failed, and adjusted course based on staff feedback?
3. Are you carrying responsibilities and decisions that you should be giving away to build genuine agency in your middle and senior leaders?

ABOUT OUR GUEST

James Kerfoot has spent 32 years in education, including 21 years in senior leadership and 13 years as a headteacher across three secondary schools. He is currently an Executive Principal within the Omega Multi-Academy Trust based at Alsop High School in Liverpool, a Level 7 Executive Coach, and an MPQEL graduate.

CONNECT & SUPPORT

• Website & Leadership Offer: Explore the Being the Head Leadership Support and Assurance offer—a structural necessity designed to create thinking space, protect judgment, and provide reflective supervision. Visit standstore https://stan.store/beingthehead
• Community: Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to ensure more school leaders who are carrying heavy burdens know they are seen and heard.