Five steps ahead: A practical guide to departmental leadership in schools

Five Steps Ahead is a practical guide for teachers stepping into middle leadership and those already leading departments who want to strengthen their impact.

Five Steps Ahead is a practical guide for teachers stepping into middle leadership and those already leading departments who want to strengthen their impact. Focusing on daily actions rather than long-term strategy, the book provides a no-nonsense approach to learning a team, improving outcomes, and building sustainable systems.

At its core, the book argues that strong departments are built through clarity and consistency: communication, systems, expectations and priorities. The book breaks these aims into clear, manageable areas, such as Learning People and Managing Assessment.

Each chapter provides practical strategies, real examples, and clear routines that help leaders move from reactive firefighting to proactive and purposeful leadership.

Designed to be both a guide and a reference tool, Five Steps Ahead supports middle leaders at every stage of their journey - from securing their first leadership role to developing others within their teams to be ready to take that step themselves. It is a book about thinking ahead, building strong foundations, and creative departments where both staff and students can thrive.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

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