Theme: Reframing assessment as a strategic leadership tool for teaching, rather than a performative burden of compliance and surveillance.

The Problem with Data: Most schools are "noisy" with information they don't use; data often becomes a tool for monitoring staff instead of a signal for improvement.

The Purpose of Assessment: The sole reason to assess is to understand learning well enough to respond intelligently and reveal the next teaching move.

The rearview mirror vs. the windshield:

Summative Assessment: Acts as the rearview mirror, checking endpoint understanding and quality-assuring the curriculum.

Formative Assessment: Acts as the windshield, providing dynamic feedback to clarify misconceptions and guide what students need next.

Data Flows: Shifting away from static data "dumps" or deadlines toward simple, timely flows that are embedded into the rhythm of teaching.

Leadership Behaviours: High-functioning leaders fix assessment by tightly aligning it to the curriculum, reducing frequency to increase quality, and utilising small, high-quality dashboards rather than overwhelming metrics.

Common Mistakes: Collecting data just because "it's always been done," allowing data to become clutter that kills clarity, and using data to punish or reward rather than to foster curiosity.

Identify a Useless Data Point: Choose one piece of data your school currently collects that has no impact on teaching and stop collecting it immediately to reduce workload and build trust.