Three things worth knowing this week school middle leaders.

* The gap between what we offer and student satisfaction remains high. Absence is still high nationally with only 93% of secondary students attending school so far this term. Why does this concern the average middle leader though? Two reasons, one is that you are probably seeing attendance dip as we approach Christmas and wondering if this is only you, it is not. The second reason is that this continues to highlight the disconnect between school and student attitudes to school. There have been some slight improvements (Edurio) in student attitudes towards school but with no year group between 8 and 11 showing more than 42% positivity towards school, we need to keep on considering student responses to Ofsted’s question, ‘Do you enjoy coming to school?’

* The courage to disappoint others is really the courage to prioritise yourself. Personal development in the new Ofsted framework is all about consistency and context. Again, things have not changed much and what you do needs to suit the students you serve, especially remember inclusion and disadvantage here. Very simply, consider what good personal development looks like for students in your area of responsibility and make a plan which enables them to take the next logical steps forward. If you can summarise what you are doing on a sheet of A4 and make sure everyone knows the plan and is equipped to deliver it then you are well prepared. The hard bit, of course, is putting it into practice. For that you need to give yourself time. Map out what you want to achieve and build gradually; it is perfectly fine to say, this is what we have done and this is what we plan to do next. You may feel the urgency to go faster but do not overdo it, as Jo Howard shared this week; ‘The courage to disappoint others is really the courage to prioritise yourself.’

* 90% of our happiness is within our control. A lot of dissatisfaction comes from comparison either to other people or our expectations. Kate Sotsenko suggests that the first question to ask ourselves is always: ‘How much of “all” is enough today?’ whilst the wrong question is ‘How can I balance it ALL?’ More immediately, Kate Smith suggests these questions to help school leaders get through December:

* What genuinely needs my attention now and what can wait until January?

* Which decisions could I simplify or delegate this week?

* What is my one most important task that will make everything feel lighter once it’s done?

* When have I felt myself slipping into overwhelm recently, and what small action helped me reset?

* What brief wellbeing practice can I protect each day to help me stay steady in the busyness?

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