Department of Joy, Hope and Wonder
A new government department has opened! And we are recruiting JOYFUL, HOPEFUL and WONDERFUL leaders!
The Department of Joy, Hope and Wonder is dedicated to noticing what’s going RIGHT in schools!
Welcome to our uplifting community created to celebrate the everyday moments of care, creativity, connection and leadership that make schools such meaningful places to be.
Every day, schools shape lives and strengthen communities, yet so many of these moments remain unseen beyond the school gates and are rarely reflected in wider public narratives about education.
This group exists to shine a light on the big and small things we’re proud of; the quiet wins, the human moments, the values led leaders - and to celebrate them together in a positive, supportive space that honours both the challenges AND the joy of school life.
Powered by HeadsUp4HTs - a community that celebrates, supports and campaigns for headteachers.
This group is about amplifying hope, joy and wonder, together.
Our contributors sit with the HeadsUp4HTs WhatsApp, Instagram and LinkedIn Communities. You can contribute directly through those platforms or by submitting the form here.
…
🎉. Celebrate loudly and generously.
Like, comment on and share one another’s posts. This space is about joy-fluffing — amplifying the people and moments that make school leadership and school life meaningful.
🎉Share what you’re proud of — big or small.
Post moments, approaches, leadership reflections or everyday joys from school life. This isn’t about grand gestures, but the real, human things that give us hope.
🎉Keep it honest and balanced.
School leadership is challenging and joyful. This community makes space for both, while choosing to lead with hope, appreciation and possibility.
🎉Be kind, respectful and supportive.
Respond with encouragement, curiosity and generosity. This is a friendly, psychologically safe space for school leaders and those who support them.
🎉Consent really matters.
Only share content, photographs or videos you have permission to use. Where children or young people appear, confirm that parental or carer consent has been obtained in line with your school or organisation’s safeguarding and data protection policies.
🎉Amplifying beyond this group.
By posting here, you understand that — with your permission — content may be shared by HeadsUp4HTs for Headteachers to celebrate hope, joy and positive practice in education, including via social media, websites, newsletters, publications or presentations.
🎉Protect people and schools.
Avoid naming individuals or schools in sensitive situations. Share in ways that uphold dignity, confidentiality and trust.
Navigating the Joy and Challenge of Teaching
This blog is written by HeadsUp4HTs Founder and Director James Pope.
“To be inspired is great, to inspire others is incredible”. (Stacey T. Hunt/Romy Wheeler)
This quote is a key component of the keynote speech I deliver on a regular basis to School Leaders both here, and abroad.
In the keynote I explore the balance and tension between teaching and school leadership as the most joyful vocation and career and the fact that it is also very challenging and demanding.
I first saw the quote painted on the wall of a Sixth Form common room in a school close to where I live. It struck me that it perfectly encapsulates both the sense of joy that is created by both being inspired and inspiring others… and the sheer privilege that it is to be a teacher or school leader, with the chance to inspire other human beings on a daily basis.
In our work at @Headsup4hts we explore the balance between joy and challenge in much greater depth. For us it is through understanding the tension between the two that we can be much more intentional about how we support school leaders with their well-being and consequently create cultures of well-being within schools and MATs.
It is true of the thousands of school leaders that we have supported that they are absolutely dedicated and determined to ensure that those they teach and work with are inspired… it is also true that they are often doing this work in challenging circumstances… It is this dedication and determination that can often create high levels of stress and anxiety and ultimately lead to a negative impact on well-being.
It seems appropriate, on World Teacher’s Day, to celebrate our amazing school leaders, teachers and school staff who are often relentless in their determination to ensure that young people receive the best education they possibly can. It also seems appropriate to offer a word of caution, that to do so at the detriment of your own well-being and your own family, is not conducive to a long and glorious career.
At HeadsUp4Hts we support school leaders to implement strategies and actions that can help them to pause and reflect, to take that breath with the aim of avoiding burnout and the consequences of burnout in the longer term. For people who are predisposed to work in acts of service to others 24/7 this can be very challenging. However, we would advocate that it is vital that school leaders take the time to regularly pause and to reflect, to ask yourself, “How Am I?”, to answer the question with honesty and to act based on that answer. This may be as simple as establishing some boundaries around your working day, it may involve ensuring you make time available for the things in your professional and personal life that bring you joy. It may require greater action such as discussing your well-being with your line manager and seeking some external support.
World Teacher’s Day provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing work that all those working in education, it also provides us with the perfect opportunity to ensure that those same people remain in education for the entirety of their career, experiencing the sheer joy and privilege of the job, whilst establishing behaviours that help them to maintain healthy levels of well-being.
After all, to inspire others is incredible!
Celebrating the release of our debut book!
Out now with SAGE Publications – use code SAGEAUTH25 for a 25% discount and with free next day delivery on Amazon.
For every headteacher and school leader who has ever felt both the joy and the weight of leadership, HeadsUp4HTs: Supporting Purposeful School Leadership is a book written with you, and for you.
This book grew out of the lived experience of hundreds of school leaders across the UK, leaders who have inspired, struggled, led with courage, and sometimes fallen through the cracks of an unforgiving system. It is, at its heart, a book about rediscovering purpose, nurturing well-being, and reconnecting with the human side of leadership.
A book born from the HeadsUp4HTs community.
The story of HeadsUp4HTs began back in 2019, when a small group of headteachers gathered in Liverpool to share their experiences; the pride, the pain, and the passion of headship. What began as a conversation has grown into a thriving network of thousands of leaders who connect to reflect, reframe and remind one another that they are not alone.
Through their voices, and ours, this book tells the story of what it means to lead with heart in today’s education system. You’ll hear from leaders who have weathered inspection, crisis, and personal doubt, and from those who have rebuilt themselves and their schools with renewed purpose and integrity.
Inside the book
Part 1
HeadsUp4HTs, explores the mission and evolution of the HeadsUp4HTs community, how it began with one headteacher’s painful story (James Pope’s own, powerfully told in Chapter 2), and evolved into a movement for collective well-being and sustainable leadership.
You’ll find chapters that speak candidly about the joy of school leadership and the challenge of it, as well as reflections on the importance of purpose and intentionality in a demanding educational landscape.
Part 2
We introduce our Nine Steps to Well-being — practical, human strategies to support self-awareness, sustainability, and joy in the job. From ‘Being honest with yourself’ and ‘Recognise the need’ to ‘Amplifying the things that bring you joy’ these steps are built on years of listening to what school leaders truly need. We share the experiences of headteachers and school leaders from our community who talk honestly about their experiences of headship, and the impact of being intentional about focusing on their well-being.
Part 3
What Next? is both a reflection and a call to action - to build systems that sustain leaders, not exhaust them. It invites all of us to think differently about how we support the people who hold our schools and communities together. This part of the book invites all of us; governors, trusts, policymakers, local authorities, and leadership associations to think differently about how we nurture and protect the people who hold our schools together. It’s about moving from reactive, short-term responses to intentional, sustainable support.
For every school leader’s bookshelf
we are so proud of our book! This isn’t a theoretical text or a leadership manual that tells you how to do the job. It’s a collection of real stories, shared wisdom, and compassionate guidance that reminds us that leadership is a profoundly human endeavour.
If you are a headteacher, senior leader, or aspiring leader, this book is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with your ‘why’. To remember the joy of making a difference. To find courage in community. At HeadsUp4HTs, we often ask ourselves just one question:
“Have we helped one school leader feel better about themselves and their impact today?”
If this book can do that, for you, or for someone you know, then it’s done its job.
About the authors
James Pope has worked in education for 20+ years. Since resigning from his post as a Headteacher in 2018 he created Inspireducate Ltd and founded the HeadsUp4HTs community. With a passion for school leadership, education, vision and strategy he works with schools around the world as a coach, mentor and thought leader. Through the founding of the HeadsUp4Hts network he has also become something of an expert in Headteacher well-being, working with and influencing organisations and policy makers.
Kate Smith is a former primary headteacher and ICF accredited coach who has supported thousands of school leaders across the UK and beyond through her values-driven coaching, facilitation and peer support work. A passionate advocate for intentional well-being, sustainable leadership and authentic communication, she specialises in coaching leaders through the rollercoaster ride of headship. Through her work with HeadsUp4HTs, Kate is influencing how the system supports - and sustains - the people at its heart.
HeadsUp4HTs: Supporting Purposeful School Leadership is available now from SAGE Publications and all major booksellers.
📚 Use code SAGEAUTH25 for 25% off
📒 Available on Amazon with free next day delivery
STEP 8 - Reconnecting with your Purpose
We wrote our debut book to help school leaders reconnect with their purpose so that leadership feels sustainable and well again. In this step, we explore abandonment: not giving up, but intentionally letting go of what no longer serves. It’s about clearing space for what truly matters, so you can lead with clarity, humanity and renewed joy…
Your desk is stacked. Your inbox is anthropological. Someone in the corridor needs you. Something urgent is happening in Year 4. Again.
And there, in the middle of the rush, sits the list.
The things we keep meaning to do.
The jobs we never quite get to.
The documents that haunt us a little.
The projects we agreed to because they sounded good at the time.
The commitments that made sense once, but don’t anymore.
And still, we keep adding.
New initiatives. New priorities. New expectations.
Always more. Always forward.
Because schools are full of hope, and headteachers are full of care.
But here’s the part we rarely talk about:
We are brilliant at adding.
We are less brilliant at letting go.
This is where the idea of abandonment, borrowed from Sir David Crossley, lands with real power.
Not abandonment of people.
Not abandonment of care.
But the intentional abandonment of tasks, expectations and practices that no longer serve the purpose we’re here to honour.
Because purpose is the anchor. Without it, everything becomes equally urgent.
When we work with headteachers through HeadsUp4HTs, we often hear the same quiet confession, said gently, often with a tired laugh:
“I know there are things I just need to stop doing.”
Not because they’re lazy.
Not because they don’t care.
But because the to-do list has become an untamed creature and they are doing everything except the work that nourishes their purpose, their joy, their leadership, their humanity.
So we do something quite simple.
We look at the list together — and we ask:
What purpose does this serve?
If the purpose is unclear, weak, fear-driven, or simply inherited from a previous moment in the school’s life, we explore three possibilities:
- Let it go. Not everything belongs anymore.
- Do it differently. Purpose shapes the approach.
- Reimagine it. If it matters, it may just need to look new.
Take the school self-evaluation.
For many headteachers, just hearing those words tightens the chest.
It sits on the list for months.
It drains energy before a word is even typed.
And when we ask why it’s being done, the answer is almost always the same:
“Because OFSTED.”
But fear is not purpose.
Purpose is knowing your school deeply; having clarity about your strengths and an honest, rooted understanding of what needs to come next. It is feeling proud enough, and safe enough, to say those things out loud. And when that sense of purpose is reclaimed, the tasks themselves begin to shift. Some fall away completely. Others feel lighter. Some even become joyful again. But the greatest change is in you: in your time, your energy, your sense of autonomy, and your reconnection to why you chose to lead in the first place. This is the heart of our work at HeadsUp4HTs. We are not here simply to help leaders cope, but to help them choose what is worth carrying. Leadership is not sustained by resilience alone; it is sustained through intention.
Abandonment, when done with care, is not a loss. It is a liberation.
You can read more about abandonment, and other strategies for more purposeful leadership in our debut book.
Emotional Spirals in Headship
As a well-being coach for headteachers, I understand how easily one challenging moment can throw us off balance. A tough meeting, an unexpected complaint, or a critical email can leave us unsettled. Then, as the day progresses, it seems like everything conspires to test our patience. We start anticipating more bad news, overanalysing emails, and ruminating on conversations with a growing sense of unease.
Emotional spirals, whether triggered by stress or overwhelm, have their own momentum. When we’re caught in one, they distort our thinking and drive behaviours that make the situation worse. For headteachers, this might look like withdrawing from your team, replaying difficult conversations in your mind, isolating yourself from support, or sacrificing movement and exercise in the name of “getting on top of things.” While working through the to do list may feel like the easiest or most comfortable option at the time, this can deepen feelings of anxiety, disconnection and exhaustion.
The key to breaking a downward spiral often lies in doing the opposite of what instinct tells us. It requires us to reach out for connection, engage in movement, or reframe our perspective—actions that feel difficult in the moment but create a much-needed disruption.
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself completely overwhelmed. Life felt like a never-ending to-do list: sorting banking and broadband issues, managing my kids’ emotional ups and downs, organising and then re-organising projects and clients, balancing a busy coaching workload, and launching an app—all while feeling drained and desperate for a break despite only just having half term!
My mind kept cycling through all the things that were going wrong, fixating on the negatives. The more I focused on what wasn’t working and what I had left to do, the harder it felt to make any progress. It was like being caught in a downward spiral—mentally and emotionally trapped.
Even as a well-being coach, fully aware of the steps I needed to take—steps I regularly guide others through—I found myself so entangled in my own thoughts and resistance that it felt easier to surrender to the chaos. What started to help me climb out wasn’t a dramatic fix or an overnight shift. I often tell my headteacher coachees that I believe a positive experience can help to heal a negative one, and so I knew to look to change things up. As much as I felt like staying at home for the weekend, I booked a train, a hotel room and a pair of cinema tickets. I had committed myself to leaving the house, the life admin and the laundry behind. The first step out of the spiral was small, It began with a small step: changing my environment, booking a weekend away, and later, opening up to a trusted friend. Talking it through with someone who really listened helped me realise how trapped I’d been in my own head. I’d been ruminating on trivial problems and losing sight of the bigger picture. (Not the first time - ah ha - a pattern!)
The thing about emotional spirals is that they feed on themselves. When we’re in a downward one, it’s easy to feel powerless and stuck because our thoughts and actions reinforce that feeling. I’d been withdrawing, avoiding moments of connection, and trying to push through without taking care of myself as well as I could have been.
But here’s the key: to break free, we often have to do the opposite of what we feel like doing. For me, that meant stepping outside my routine, reaching out for trusted support, and prioritising something restorative.
The good news is that positive actions, no matter how small, have their own momentum too. That weekend away broke my cycle of negativity. I was able to step back, breathe, and notice what was still good in my life. I started to feel lighter, more open to solutions, and more attuned to the positive moments around me. I could see opportunities where before I’d only seen problems. My train this morning was cancelled, but instead of it being the straw that broke the camel’s back, I embraced it. I’ve got two extra hours in London today so I’ll go and check out an exhibition at a gallery.
This is an example of what researchers call “upward spirals.” Positive emotions, even brief ones, broaden our perspective and open us up to new possibilities. They don’t magically erase our challenges, but they make us more resourceful and resilient in how we approach them. Instead of feeling stuck in survival mode, we start to thrive.
The beauty of upward spirals is that one small shift can ripple outward, creating a chain reaction. For me, my weekend away helped me reconnect with joy, creativity, and purpose. It didn’t solve all my problems, but it gave me the energy and perspective to face them in a better frame of mind.
So if you find yourself stuck in a downward spiral, remember: even the smallest positive action can set you on a better path. Step outside your usual routine, connect with someone you trust, or try something that shifts your perspective. It might feel hard in the moment, but it’s the first step towards something better. Sometimes, all we need is a little momentum to turn things around. If you’re a school leaders and you’d like coaching with HeadsUp4HTs to help you out of a downward spiral, please reach out.
Emotional Resilience: Strengthening Your Ability to Bounce Back
Emotional Resilience: Strengthening Your Ability to Bounce Back
What is Emotional Resilience?
Emotional resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from stress, setbacks, or challenges. For school leaders, emotional resilience means maintaining a balanced outlook and finding constructive responses to adversity. This skill is essential for managing the daily demands of headship and for leading a school environment that supports well-being and success.
Why is it Important?
Building emotional resilience helps you to:
1. Handle stress and difficult emotions effectively.
2. Model a calm, collected demeanour for staff and students.
3. Avoid burnout and stay energised in the face of challenging situations.
How to Develop Emotional Resilience
1. Eat the Frog: Tackle the most difficult task first each day. Completing challenging work early builds resilience by training you to face obstacles head-on.
2. Mindfulness Practice: Spend 10 minutes daily focusing on breathing or a mindfulness exercise to manage stress and stay present.
3. Cognitive Reframing: Practise recognising negative thoughts and reframing them to see challenges as opportunities for growth.
Key Strategies for Building Resilience
- Stress Management Techniques: Use stress management tools such as progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery to stay grounded.
- Establish Daily Routines: Consistent routines, especially around morning and evening, provide stability and resilience.
- Seek Support: Build a network of trusted colleagues for emotional support, or consult a coach to provide guidance and perspective.
Key Questions to Reflect On
- How do I currently respond to stress, and what could I do differently?
- What daily practices can I establish to strengthen my resilience?
- How can I model resilience for my team, particularly in challenging times?
Relevant Research
- Resilience training research by the British Psychological Society indicates that resilience-building practices can reduce burnout and improve job satisfaction among school leaders.
- Positive Psychology studies show that mindfulness and stress management practices significantly improve emotional regulation and resilience.
Positive Intelligence and Identifying Your Saboteurs
Positive Intelligence and Identifying Your Saboteurs
What is Positive Intelligence?
Positive Intelligence is the concept of building mental fitness to increase one’s capacity for positivity, resilience, and effective decision-making. It involves identifying and quieting your “saboteurs” – those negative inner voices or thought patterns that undermine your confidence, decision-making, and well-being. For headteachers, learning to identify and manage these saboteurs can lead to more effective, compassionate, and resilient leadership.
Why is it Important?
Understanding and managing your saboteurs is crucial because:
1. It allows you to approach challenges with a positive, solution-oriented mindset.
2. It reduces the impact of self-doubt, fear, and stress on your leadership effectiveness.
3. It fosters a growth mindset, enabling you to model resilience and optimism for your staff and students.
How to Identify and Manage Your Saboteurs
1. Saboteur Quiz: Take a Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment to identify your inner saboteurs, such as the “Controller” or “Judge.”
2. Mindful Recognition: When you notice self-critical thoughts, pause and identify which saboteur is speaking. Simply recognising this voice can reduce its power over you.
3. Shift to “Sage” Mode: Use simple grounding techniques like deep breathing or visualisation to activate your positive, solution-focused “Sage” brain.
Key Strategies for Building Positive Intelligence
- Mental Reps: Practise “PQ reps” (Positive Intelligence Quotient reps), short mental exercises that shift your focus to the present moment, helping you remain calm under stress.
- Reframe Challenges: Use saboteurs as a signal to reframe the situation, focusing on what can be learned or gained rather than what is lost.
- Daily Reflections: Journal about when your saboteurs show up during the day and reflect on ways you can respond more positively next time.
- Book in a coaching package and ask your coach to focus on identifying your saboteurs
Key Questions to Reflect On
- Which saboteurs are most prevalent in my thoughts, and how do they affect my leadership?
- How can I strengthen my Sage brain to cultivate a more positive outlook?
- What impact could reducing saboteurs have on my team and school environment?
Relevant Research
- Research by Shirzad Chamine, the founder of Positive Intelligence, shows that increasing mental fitness through PQ reps significantly reduces stress and improves performance.
- Studies on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) support the effectiveness of identifying and reframing negative thoughts to boost mental resilience.
Emotional Agility: Navigating the Ups and Downs
Emotional Agility: Navigating the Ups and Downs
What is Emotional Agility?
Emotional agility refers to the capacity to handle thoughts and feelings with flexibility, enabling adaptation to changing circumstances. For headteachers, emotional agility involves managing the emotional demands of leadership while remaining grounded and effective.
Why is it Important?
Emotionally agile leaders:
1. Cope with stress and setbacks more resiliently.
2. Make well-rounded decisions without being unduly influenced by transient emotions.
3. Promote a positive school environment by demonstrating emotional balance.
How to Cultivate Emotional Agility
1. Mindfulness Practices: Engage in mindfulness activities to stay present and observe your emotions without acting impulsively. Regular mindfulness practices, like meditation or breathing exercises, can enhance focus and calmness.
2. Name and Validate Emotions: Labelling emotions (e.g., “I feel overwhelmed”) can reduce their intensity and help you understand their roots. Accept and validate your emotions rather than suppressing them, which can build long-term resilience.
3. Practise Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself in challenging moments rather than resorting to self-criticism. This approach not only helps you recover faster but also promotes a compassionate, positive atmosphere for your team.
4. Book a coaching package and ask your coach to focus on emotional agility
Key Questions to Reflect On
- How often do I pause to acknowledge my emotions before reacting?
- Do I allow myself time to process setbacks before moving forward?
- How can I demonstrate emotional agility to benefit my staff and students?
Relevant Research
- Dr Susan David’s Emotional Agility framework shows that flexible thinking improves resilience and adaptability.
- Research from **Harvard Business School supports that emotional agility strengthens leadership effectiveness and well-being.
Collective Care: Building Support Networks
Collective Care: Building Support Networks
What is Collective Care?
Collective care is about creating a supportive community where leaders, colleagues, and peers offer mutual encouragement. For headteachers, this could mean connecting with other school leaders who understand the unique challenges of headship. Collective care fosters resilience, reduces isolation, and distributes the emotional weight of leadership.
Why is it Important?
Collective care is essential because:
1. It reduces feelings of isolation by connecting leaders with shared experiences.
2. It provides a network for practical support, sharing insights and advice during tough times.
3. It encourages openness, enabling leaders to share vulnerabilities and learn from each other.
How to Build and Engage in Collective Care
1. Regular Peer Groups: Join or organise a support group of headteachers to meet regularly for discussions, shared learning, and emotional support. Consider structuring the sessions to include a “wins and challenges” segment to focus on both achievements and struggles. Join us on Wednesday evening for our HeadsUp4HTs Virtual Drinks Night
2. Mentorship and Coaching: Seek out a mentor or coach, or act as one for others. Engaging in these relationships can deepen understanding and provide guidance through shared wisdom and experiences.
3. Collaborative Problem Solving: Host sessions with trusted peers to openly discuss challenges and brainstorm solutions. This can alleviate stress by creating a space for collaborative support and practical advice.
Key Questions to Reflect On
- Who is part of my support network, and how often do I connect with them?
- How comfortable am I with sharing my challenges and seeking support?
- How can I contribute to others’ resilience while also benefiting from collective care?
Relevant Research
- Brene Brown’s research on vulnerability highlights how sharing openly can build trust and resilience.
- Studies on social support networks in leadership show that collective care reduces burnout and improves job satisfaction.
Leadership Resilience: Maintaining Your Well-being
Leadership Resilience: Maintaining Your Well-being
What is Leadership Resilience?
Leadership resilience is the capacity to adapt, recover, and grow in the face of adversity. For school leaders, this includes managing mental, emotional, and physical well-being to handle the unique pressures of headship. Building resilience is about thriving, not just surviving, through the demands of leadership.
Why is it Important?
Resilient leaders can:
1. Cope with high-pressure situations while avoiding burnout.
2. Respond to stressors in healthy ways, benefiting both themselves and their teams.
3. Lead with stability, inspiring confidence and creating a positive atmosphere for staff and students.
How to Build Leadership Resilience
1. Establish Clear Boundaries: Define boundaries between work and personal time. Use strategies like “Eat the Frog” by tackling high-stress tasks first to reduce mental load throughout the day. Limit checking emails or messages outside working hours to protect your personal time.
2. Prioritise Self-Care Routines: Regularly engage in activities that promote well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. Treat self-care as essential, not optional.
3. Cognitive Reframing: When faced with setbacks, practise reframing negative thoughts. Identify self-limiting beliefs that might intensify stress and consciously replace them with constructive, realistic perspectives.
Key Strategies for Resilience
- Practise mindfulness to manage stress and cultivate emotional resilience.
- Establish a network of trusted colleagues and mentors for mutual support during difficult times.
- Stay grounded by focusing on your Ikigai—balancing what you love, what you excel at, and what brings meaning to your role.
Key Questions to Reflect On
- What specific stressors do I face, and how effective are my current strategies in managing them?
- How can I build my emotional resilience to better handle leadership challenges?
- How do I prioritise personal well-being alongside my professional duties?
Relevant Research
- The British Psychological Society underscores the value of resilience training in reducing burnout among school leaders.
- Dr Ginsburg’s Seven C’s of Resilience (including competence and connection) offers a framework for building sustainable resilience.