Leadership Focus: Standing together this autumn From the energy of the Annual Conference in Belfast to the challenges on the horizon, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman reflects on the shifting mood of a profession grappling with rising pressures and an uncertain autumn ahead. 09 July 2026
Leadership Focus: Flexible working – what’s changing? Leadership Focus journalist Nic Paton explores the challenges and opportunities of flexible working in schools, as new government guidance encourages leaders to rethink how flexibility can support recruitment, retention and staff members’ well-being. 09 July 2026
Leadership Focus: school leaders’ invisible workload School leaders are carrying an ever-growing ‘invisible workload’ of emotional labour, crisis management and unrecognised responsibilities that rarely feature in job descriptions. Leadership Focus journalist Nic Paton explores the hidden demands of the role, their impact on well-being and retention, and why many are calling for greater recognition and support. 09 July 2026
Leadership Focus: Smartphones, schools and the struggle for balance Leadership Focus journalist Nic Paton explores the growing debate around smartphones, social media and children’s well-being, and how school leaders are balancing online safety, behaviour, learning and the realities of a digital world. 09 July 2026
Leadership Focus July 2026 This issue covers the challenges facing school leaders, from hidden workload pressures to the debate over smartphones and social media, and whether greater flexibility can help make the profession more sustainable. 09 July 2026