HeadsUp is fortunate to have the support of the following values-aligned individuals and organisations who contribute to our network.

They give of their time to support our network and collaborate with us on our Vision/Mission.  We are particularly grateful to Big Change who have provided project funding for the growth of our network.

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NAHT

NAHT is the largest union for School Leaders. We support and protect members against the pressures and challenges of school leadership. We produce timely guidance documents on all aspects of running a school with a Library of over 400 distinct and bespoke guides.  Our telephone support is managed by former headteachers, HR and Finance professionals and able to dispense advice on personal and professional issues. We campaign and lobby government to bring about positive changes to the profession and have 123 years’ experience of supporting school leaders. Our sole role is to provide members with the assistance they need.

Our members experience the pressures and of school leadership daily. Working with HeadsUp we will work to raise the awareness and argue for positive changes to the profession. Together we look at ways we can betters support school leaders to prevent burnout and support people through crises.

National Governance Association

NGA is the membership organisation for governors, trustees and clerks of state schools in England. We are an independent, not-for-profit charity that aims to improve the educational standards and wellbeing of young people by increasing the effectiveness of governing boards and promoting high standards. We are expert leaders in school and trust governance, providing information, advice and guidance, professional development and e-learning. We represent the views of governors, trustees and clerks at a national level and work closely with, and lobby, UK government and educational bodies.

Our members have told us in no uncertain terms that they are in awe of the leadership headteachers and senior executives  shown day in and day out in their roles. However, they remain concerned about the toll that our current education system takes on leaders. One of NGA’s priorities is to promote the development, diversity and welfare of headteachers and senior leaders, working with so many of the other brilliant initiatives like HeadsUp to stress the governing board’s role.

Big Change

At Big Change, these beliefs drive everything we do. We back pioneers and projects that deliver bold approaches on the frontline of change. We create a community to support them, and we activate diverse allies who want to reimagine and transform education.

This work has never been more urgent. The pandemic has exposed the cracks created by the existing injustices in the way we currently do things. It is time for big change.

We have found common ground on many occasions with James, in productive and deeply reflective discussions and workshop sessions. James contributed directly to our thinking on the best approach to cooperative school improvement work –  and this has helped develop our programmes with cooperative values and principles under the working banner of “Good With Schools”.

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Diverse Educators

What is #DiverseEd?

Diverse Educators is a grassroots community and series of events which launched in January 2018. It was co-founded by Bennie Kara and Hannah Wilson, who also co-founded #WomenEd.

Why does #DiverseEd exist?

In the last 5 years we have seen a rise in grassroots movements: #WomenEd, #BAMEed, #LGBTed and #DisabilityEd are all flourishing communities. Each network has arisen out of the need to create support for educators with a protected characteristic.

How did #DiverseEd come about?

#DiverseEd is a space for intersectional conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion in education.

How does #DiverseEd work?

For the last 3 years, #DiverseEd has been an annual event each January.  In June, an event was planned for Liverpool, but due to lockdown the event happened virtually instead. 13, 5000 accessed the event via Twitter, Periscope and Youtube. Future events are being planned for targeted audiences including: the Independent Sector, Governors and Early Career Teachers.

What is a #DiverseEd event?

Run like an unconference, the Saturday grassroots event is a combination of keynote speeches, panel discussions and facilitated workshops.

Who goes to #DiverseEd events?

The content is by educators, for educators, but anyone can attend – other professions have joined us over the last few years including HR, law and health professionals. The audience ranges from trainee teachers to CEOs, includes governors, support staff and those considering teaching.

How would #DiverseEd like to shape the national agenda?

We would like to see:

  • More diverse teachers being recruited into teaching, and being retained
  • More diverse leaders progressing to middle leadership, senior leadership and headship
  • More diverse governance at school and trust level

Who are the #DiverseEd partners? 

Please go to our partners page to find out who we are working with and why:

  • Leeds Beckett University
  • Lyfta
  • Teaglo

HeadsUp presented a workshop at the January 2020 event – James Pope and Audrey Pantelis shared their journeys as Headteachers with the delegates.

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Schools Advisory Service

We are the largest National Wellbeing and Absence Insurance provider working with schools to create a wellbeing offer for staff and pupils. We are driven to make a difference for schools and work with schools to create a whole school wellbeing culture which is bespoke to your school and community. We have partners far and wide who we work with to help create this offer. Contact us to find out how we could help to build you a whole school wellbeing culture.

Coming Soon

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Supply Well

SupplyWell is changing the way teachers are recruited and how schools can look after their staff and their wellbeing.

We have 3 simple aims.

  • To keep teachers and money in education
  • Help prevent others from suffering work-related stress
  • Impact positively on social mobility

Co-founded in 2018 by teacher and former senior leader Michael Heverin. Teaching over 12 years in London and Liverpool, Michael saw just how much money was haemorrhaging out of classrooms due to extortionate supply teaching costs, driven by huge levels of absence amongst the teaching profession.

Michael became a statistic, suffering from work-related stress and exhaustion and felt that teaching was no longer a sustainable career. SupplyWell was founded out of a desire to keep teachers in the classroom, teaching happy and in a profession they love.

We work with our partner schools helping them save money on recruitment, reduce staff absence and increase staff retention, positively impacting outcomes for all.

We provide amazing supply teachers to schools and have a flat transparent fee to help us keep the lights on, we pay our fantastic supply teachers fairly based on national pay scales and experience and we never charge a temp to perm fee. We are transparent.

We want schools to know where their money goes and more importantly that they don’t get taken advantage of.

We train Mental Health First Aid Champions as a gift to all of our partner schools and ensure that all of our supply teachers have access to leading-edge mental health support.

HeadsUp provides school leaders with a safe space. Non judgemental support, advice and community. It’s the arm around our school leaders that they need.

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The Teacher Empowerment Project

The Teacher Empowerment Project was created from the frustration that, whilst there was a teacher retention crisis, there seemed to be little to support and inspire teachers who felt on the edge of burn out; those feeling undervalued and lost; or those struggling with the demands of the squeeze of juggling caring and teaching.

The project was created in 2018 by Kathryn Grice, a former secondary head of English, to be the support that was seemingly absent for teachers in need of inspiration, a boost, or for those thinking of leaving the profession. The project supports teachers by providing time and space to figure out what it is they would like to achieve in their working life and how they could achieve it.

The Teacher Empowerment Project also offers independent career advice, for both schools and teachers, to support those taking or facing their next steps which may have occurred due to: redundancy, a decision to leave the profession, mental health issues, capability procedures, end of contract or retirement. By helping to reframe the issues and bring clarity, options and opportunity to situations that can feel overwhelming and uncertain.

Teachers engaging with the project have made changes such as: changing sector, seeking promotions, becoming involved in charity work, and even changing careers. We provide teachers with the space, time, and support to explore their options and help to move them from feeling fearful to being excited about their new opportunities.

Being a Head can be an extremely demanding and isolating role. I wholehearted recommend HeadsUp to any Head who wish to find a supportive network of fellow Head Teachers who will guide, celebrate and advise you in your navigation through the difficulties of the current status quo of the English Education system. HeadsUp is a much-needed service that is created and provided by someone who has been there and gets it.

HoneyGuide School Leader Support

Honeyguide School Leader Support is an essential ally for all school leaders – we’re here to uplift you during challenging times and lead beside you. No matter where you are on your school leadership journey – whether you’re starting out, experienced or simply seeking growth – we’ll support you and guide the way forward. With our comprehensively planned CPD, reliable resource packs and extensive guidance created with you in mind, we’ll empower you to engage in purposeful thinking and practical action that’s tailored to you and your setting. Our approach is simple yet carefully considered. Whilst ensuring that everything we offer is easy to use, easy to access and easy to get on with, the thinking behind it is far more complex. The reason for this? We know first-hand how demanding each and every day is as a leader, and how you often won’t have two minutes to catch your breath, let alone think and reflect! With this at the forefront of our minds, along with several tales to tell ourselves, we want to take that added pressure and weight off you. Let us guide you through the complex education landscape with tailored pathways and expert support, equipping you with all the tools you need to make a difference to your pupils, staff and school community.  We’ll do the thinking so that you can get on with what you do best – leading.

Purplemoon Supervision

Effective supervision reduces stress and improves emotional and mental health.

From the evidence in health care and social care, Supervision positively impacts on staff job satisfaction and retention, and reduces staff absence due to stress/anxiety issues. Education as a sector is really missing out by not having this service from trained practitioners widely available, but the tide is turning!

Being able to talk in a confidential safe setting within a recognised structure about an issue, case or situation that is gnawing at your subconscious or causing you stress will ensure that you can work through it so it doesn’t impact your emotional and mental wellbeing in the long term.

Regular sessions ensure that you are maintaining great wellbeing and building up your resilience.

Supervision is not therapy, but has therapeutic benefits.

LYFTA

Our storyworlds are a powerful way to introduce challenging topics to children such as loss, resilience, stereotypes and inequality. The positive human stories are a powerful tool to nurture character and values. Complex and abstract topics like sustainability and global citizenship are explained in an accessible and relatable way. With our simple-to-use teacher platform you can access hundreds of high-quality, interactive lesson plans and assemblies on a wide range of themes. Search by curriculum subject, key stage, theme or by UN Sustainable Development Goal. Lesson and assembly plans can be easily adapted to make them bespoke for your school.
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Whole Education

Whole Education was founded as a national network in 2010, emerging from the RSA’s Charter for 21st Century Education. Our dynamic network consists of over 500 schools and partners committed to learning from and with each other to deliver a ‘whole education’.

Educators tell us this vision of a fully rounded education resonates with the reasons they came into the profession, and helps provide a common language and framework for doing something about it.

We believe that the essential knowledge on how to deliver such an education is in the system. WE exist to connect the dots; to enhance the ability of schools, teachers and leaders to offer a whole education to all and provide support to solve common challenges we face.