School can often feel relentless: exams, events, marking, reporting – all competing for attention on an already crowded calendar. The small glimmers of hope (a staff night out, a team lunch, or even a quiet pupil‑free day) become the milestones that keep everyone going. One of the greatest challenges for middle leaders is sustaining energy, both your own and your team’s, as the term’s pace intensifies – especially this time of year. Those quick corridor catch‑ups to share ideas, vent, or troubleshoot gradually disappear, swallowed up by the demands of the timetable.

Something I realised, usually around June, when I finally had a moment to breathe, was that if I looked back through my planner, the sheer volume of work we had achieved as a department was enormous. And yet, because we rarely document these “small wins”, they tend to blur into the background noise of a busy school year. In English especially, where we see our classes so frequently, we often act as unofficial pastoral staff, tracking pupils’ academic and personal journeys more closely than most. But despite this, I didn’t always appreciate how much we did achieve as a team until the tide turned again after results day.

To help counteract this, and to support ECTs and new colleagues navigating the rhythms of the year, I introduced a weekly email called ‘The Week Ahead’. Although the school already issued a Monday briefing, this subject‑specific bulletin allowed me to highlight departmental goals, share reminders, and signpost external deadlines and all in one accessible place. It is also a good way to keep part time and job share staff informed too – sometimes you can feel out of the loop either by the geography of the building or timetabling. (I would stress that it is usually a 5 min job with a copy and paste, and one or two amendments.)

What ‘The Week Ahead’ Does for a Department:

• Team ethos and buy‑in
It gives you a space to celebrate small wins, delegate responsibilities, and offer colleagues opportunities to take ownership.

• Collective problem-solving
Sharing pinch points – mock exams, curriculum bottlenecks, moderation tasks. This invites colleagues to contribute advice, strategies, or helpful resources.

• Collective improvement
Sometimes a single line in the bulletin sparks a productive conversation about timelines, assessments, or whether a particular resource should quietly disappear forever.

• Positivity and resource‑sharing
If the HOD models generosity and openness, others follow. The more we share, the lighter the workload becomes, and colleagues also feel empowered to give feedback on the things you share. (This keeps everyone honest!)

• Clarity and accountability
It’s a great place to reinforce agreed deadlines or revisit actions from meetings. Yes, minutes and agendas exist, but the bulletin functions as a friendly nudge: “Remember that thing we all agreed to do? Here it is again!”

• Framework for the year ahead
These weekly notes form a natural timeline that are useful for planning, evaluation, CPD and even CV writing. Teachers can scroll back and see exactly what they contributed across the year, rather than relying on memory which is usually finite at the end of the year.

And ultimately, the tone of ‘The Week Ahead’ matters just as much as its content. The aim is to be warm, collegial, and steady and a gentle blend of shared purpose and individual autonomy that reminds everyone we’re rowing in the same direction, even if we each hold a different oar.

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Sample ‘Week Ahead’ Bulletin

Good morning folks,

1. Controlled Assessment – Could you email me with where your classes currently are? This will help us finalise timings for the December exams.
2. Assessment One – This should be underway and completed before the break. All resources are here: KS3 Resourcing (link)
3. ‘Do Now’ Slide – Attached above. We’ll be discussing this in the KS3 meeting. Please trial it if you can — all tweaks, ideas, and inspired moments welcome!
4. Public Speaking – Thank you to _______ for taking the team this year. If you have nominations (Year 12 and 13 only), send them to _______.

Key Dates & Deadlines:
• Wednesday 8th November – Department Meeting (Focus: Lesson Starters)
• Friday 17th November – GCSE English Language Unit 1 Repeat Exam

Thanks again, and have a good week!

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Time Management and Task Completion:

Finally, time management, and knowing what truly deserves your attention, is essential for any middle leader. One of the most practical tools I used was Covey’s Time Management Grid. I had our reprographics superhero (a role deserving of far more appreciation than they get) print and laminate a giant version for the office wall display. Because it was laminated, I could scribble on it with a whiteboard pen, move tasks around, and wipe it clean when the chaos reset itself each week – it was very satisfying and it kept me accountable.

It took a bit of getting used to, but having those four quadrants – Important/Urgent, Important/Not Urgent, Not Important/Urgent, Not Important/Not Urgent made a huge difference. I even wrote a few prompts in the corners to help me decide where tasks should go. Despite the simplicity of the grid, it was one of the most valuable tools I used to stay organised, meet deadlines, and keep my head above water during the busiest stretches of the year. Give it a try and see if it helps make a difference, especially if you are a new HOD.

I have provided a digital version so that you can edit the PDF using Adobe Acrobat via C2K – feel free to contact me with any questions using the form below.

Good luck!