Take 1: Do Your Homework

• Learn the school’s history, values, strengths and unique character before starting.
• Understand the team, board and wider community you will be joining.
• Show from day one that you are fully invested in the school.

Take 2: Avoid Change for Change’s Sake

• Resist introducing short-term initiatives simply to make your mark.
• Establish stability and understand the school before making changes.
• Ensure future improvements are meaningful and owned by the community.

Take 3: Listen and Learn

• Be visible, approachable and present across the school.
• Listen to staff, pupils, parents, governors and support teams.
• Use these conversations to understand the culture and build trust.

Take 4: Plan for Your Time in Post

• Develop a flexible four-to-six-year vision for meaningful improvement.
• Adapt your plans as you learn more about the school’s context.
• Strengthen leadership at every level and prepare a succession plan.

Take 5: Accept That You Will Not Know Everything

• Lead with confidence, curiosity and humility.
• Draw on the expertise of the people around you.
• Build strong relationships based on trust, respect and shared responsibility.

1) Start with Self-Discovery, Not Decision-Making

Most careers programmes jump too quickly to the “what” (university courses or job titles) before helping students understand the “who.”

When students explore their strengths, values and motivations first, they make more authentic and confident choices later.

By integrating reflection tools, personality frameworks and “career conversations” into tutor time or PSHE, we give students permission to see career exploration as part of their wellbeing journey, not a pressure-filled process.

Take 2) Make Wellbeing the Foundation, Not an Add-On

A student who is anxious, burnt out or comparing themselves to others can’t meaningfully engage in future planning.

Embedding wellbeing strategies (mindfulness, gratitude, resilience or even time to pause and reflect) into careers lessons helps students manage uncertainty with calm and confidence.

When students feel psychologically safe, they are more open to growth and more resilient in navigating rejection or change.

Take 3) Redefine Success: From Prestige to Purpose

Too often, students equate success with prestige - top universities, big salaries or brand names.

Our role is to shift that narrative. We should celebrate diverse definitions of success: joy in learning, alignment with values, contribution to society.

Using alumni stories and real-world examples helps students see that there are many ways to live a successful, meaningful life.

Take 4) Connect the Dots Between Curriculum and Careers

Students often ask, “When will I ever use this?”

Careers education becomes transformative when we bridge classroom learning with the world beyond school. Whether through curriculum-linked career talks, employer projects or cross-subject challenges, this approach builds both relevance and confidence, showing students that what they learn today genuinely matters for tomorrow.

Take 5) Build a Culture of Conversation

The best careers education doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in conversations.

Creating spaces where students can talk openly about uncertainty, comparison or changing plans builds resilience and agency.

Teachers, parents and peers all play a role here. When a school normalises these conversations (from staffroom to classroom) students learn that their pathway doesn’t have to be perfect to be purposeful.

1) Positive Emotions Create Upward Spirals

2) Engagement Flows Through Strengths

3) High-Trust Relationships Underpins Flourishing

4) Connect to a Higher Purpose Through Meaning

5) Frame Accomplishments as Progress That Inspires Growth