I am now convinced that schools not only have a duty to teach children to manage their own independence but that the best way to do it is to rip up all of the old-skool thinking that causes us to merely pay lip service to it rather than truly deliver it. And this isn't easy because so much of it is entrenched in good intentions and 'health and safety.'

If there is one thing I have come to realise in headship it is that you can’t do it all by yourself.  Surrounding yourself with the very best people is a start – but getting the very best from the very best requires an atmosphere and culture of trust to develop.

Schools are now awash with monitoring, testing and performance data – but are your staff able to access the details they need to see in a way that’s intelligible?

Having been fortunate enough to spend a career working across a rich variety of settings, centres and schools - both private and state led - I have seen many examples of the house system; and many examples of both the best - and the most pointless - systems and what they do or don't achieve.