The Optimus blog

The blog that inspires leaders in the UK education sector

The Optimus blog

The blog that inspires leaders in the UK education sector

John Tomsett

John Tomsett is headteacher at Huntington School in York, England. He is co-founder of the Headteachers’ Roundtable and a regular contributor to the TES.

Latest blog posts

John Tomsett

From vision to action: planning with coherence

Your plan for school development need not be the most unwieldy tome or a way to impress those who hold you to account. John Tomsett explains how you can focus on what matters. Less is more, always. School leaders invariably feel safe when we have lots of plans to demonstrate the efforts we are...
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John Tomsett

From vision to action: choosing your school's values

Having defined a core purpose and vision for your school, the next step is to establish a set of shared values. John Tomsett explains how this can be done. 'Authentic values are those by which a life can be lived, which can form a people that produces great deeds and thoughts.' Allan Bloom In many...
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John Tomsett

From vision to action: establishing a vision for your school

A clear and well-articulated vision will help all pupils and staff understand where the school is heading. John Tomsett describes the process of developing 'Vision 2018' at Huntington School. 'Create a compelling vision, one that takes people to a new place, and then translate that vision into a...
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John Tomsett

From vision to action: developing your school's core purpose

Visions and values are important, but schools need something to draw all these elements together. Headteacher John Tomsett explains how staff and students can shape a core purpose. Foundations ‘At the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president, all you have to guide you...
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