Capsized by Good Intentions

A stark and sobering warning about unintended consequences comes from historian Edward Tenner in his 2011 TED Talk, “Unintended Consequences.” In it, he recounts the tragedy of the SS Eastland, a passenger ship that capsized in the Chicago River in 1915. In the wake of the Titanic disaster just three years earlier, new safety regulations had mandated that ships carry more lifeboats. The Eastland complied. But the additional weight on the upper decks made the ship top-heavy and unstable. As passengers boarded, the ship rolled, capsized, and sank—all while still moored at the dock—killing 841 people.

The tragic irony? A safety measure intended to prevent loss of life led directly to one of the deadliest maritime disasters in American history.

This historical anecdote is more than just a cautionary tale—it’s a powerful metaphor for leadership. It reminds us that even well-intentioned decisions can have damaging effects if the wider system is not understood or the impact not fully thought through.

In schools, too, change implemented without due consideration of culture—the shared beliefs, habits, and emotional climate of the organisation—can destabilise the very things we’re trying to improve. School culture is a delicate ecosystem. Decisions that ignore it, however practical they seem on the surface, can result in imbalance, resistance, or confusion.

For school leaders, this is especially relevant. The unintended consequences of leadership don’t always come from major strategic decisions—they can emerge from the smallest actions. A throwaway comment in a corridor might be interpreted as an official directive. A policy designed to raise standards might instead create fear or resentment. A reorganisation intended to streamline communication might fracture relationships instead.

Leadership doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every word, tone, and gesture is filtered through the perception of those receiving it—and magnified by the positional power of the person speaking. And those perceptions are rooted in the existing culture of the school.

This is why school leaders must be mindful not just of what they say and do, but of how it will land—with staff, students, families, and the wider community. This includes:

• Being intentional with language, especially in mixed or informal settings

• Clarifying when something is an idea, a thought, or a directive

• Anticipating how different people might interpret your words or decisions

• Encouraging a culture where staff feel safe to ask for clarity rather than assume

In complex systems like schools, unintended consequences are not a sign of bad leadership—but unexamined ones often are. The Eastland disaster didn’t stem from recklessness. It stemmed from failing to ask: What else might happen if we do this?

Leadership, at its core, is the constant balancing act between action and reflection. The more we pause to consider potential ripples—especially within the cultural fabric of our schools—the better equipped we are to lead with wisdom, not just intention.

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School Buildings or Shopping Centres?

When we think about school improvement, we often focus on curriculum, leadership, or pedagogy. Yet, the physical architecture of a school is a silent but powerful force shaping its culture. A building is more than bricks and mortar—it communicates values, priorities, and aspirations. Sometimes it does this intentionally, but too often, it sends mixed signals or even undermines the very culture we want to build.

Consider the case of one academy in Peterborough, funded by the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme and completed in 2007. Its design was bold and futuristic: a cloud-shaped structure with curved, glass-fronted classrooms and a sweeping glass-and-steel roof that cascaded over a large central atrium. The architectural firm behind it was better known for designing corporate headquarters for multinational giants, not schools. With an estimated cost of nearly £50 million, this academy was reported to be one of the most expensive schools ever built in Britain.

Walking into such a building is undeniably impressive, but it raises a fundamental question: What is the purpose of such architecture? Is it to inspire students? To showcase success and innovation? Or does it risk being more about branding the school than building a culture that supports teaching and learning?

The Shopping Centre Effect
During my visits to several BSF schools, I noticed a recurring theme: many were trying to make a grand architectural statement. In one particular school, the open-plan upper-level classrooms were visible from the ground floor, creating an environment that felt eerily similar to a shopping mall. While visually striking, the acoustics were less so. The open design amplified sound to such an extent that lesson changeovers felt like arriving at Euston Station during rush hour.

While the school managed the environment well, architecture in this case became an obstacle rather than an asset. It looked good on a prospectus, but it made the day-to-day experience of teaching and learning more challenging.

The Windowless Office Problem
Another school I visited had administrative offices with no external windows—small, enclosed, and claustrophobic. Staff commented on the lack of natural light and how it made the space feel disconnected from the life of the school. What message does this kind of design send? 

What Architecture Says About Culture
Every physical space communicates something. In the best cases, architecture can inspire a sense of belonging, pride, and curiosity. It can reflect values like openness, creativity, and community. In the worst cases, it can alienate staff and students, prioritising aesthetics or cost over functionality and comfort.

The point is not that schools should aim for grand, expensive architecture. Indeed, many school leaders find themselves with buildings in need of significant refurbishment or even a new build entirely. It’s that every design choice—whether for a £50m building or a £50 classroom refurbishment—should start with the question: What culture are we trying to build?

Culture Without Construction
You don’t need to build a new school to create a positive cultural environment. Small but thoughtful design choices can make a huge difference:

• Classroom layouts that promote collaboration rather than isolation.

• Staffroom locations that encourage connection between departments.

• Student-facing spaces that feel welcoming, rather than sterile or intimidating.

Even something as simple as where staff offices are placed can impact communication and culture. A leadership team hidden in a remote corridor communicates something very different from one located at the heart of the school.

The Lesson for Leaders
As leaders, we must ask ourselves:

• What does the environment of our school say about our values?

• Are we creating spaces that promote calmness, respect, and curiosity, or are we inadvertently designing for chaos and hierarchy?

The architecture of a school is not just a backdrop—it’s a living part of the culture. If we want to create better schools, we need to start paying closer attention to the messages our spaces are sending.

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The Politics of Parking in Schools

At first glance, school parking may seem trivial—something outside the serious business of school improvement or leadership. But scratch the surface, and it becomes a surprisingly rich symbol of power, priorities, and culture. In my recent discussion on Teachers Talk Radio, I explored how something as mundane as a car park can reveal deeper truths about school
leadership and values.

At the leadership level, parking can operate as a symbolic act. The location of the headteacher’s car is not just a logistical decision—it can reflect and reinforce their perceived role within the school community. This is not necessarily a criticism—there may be perfectly legitimate reasons for such an arrangement; indeed, many schools have limited parking space. However it is important to acknowledge that it carries symbolic connotations.

I once worked in a school where the head parked daily in the disabled bay, despite not having any physical need to do so. The rationale was convenience—it was the closest spot to the school building. But the unintended symbolism was far more powerful. It conveyed a message—perhaps subconsciously—that their own time, convenience, and position outweighed consideration for others. The car park became an unspoken expression of hierarchy and entitlement.

Contrast this with the teacher or leader who reverses into a space each morning. While this might seem efficient or even responsible, it can also carry cultural implications. Reversing into a space—ready to drive straight out—may suggest a mindset already anticipating departure. It can subtly imply a transactional approach to the school day: arrive, deliver, leave. This is not to criticise the act itself (many do it for safety), but to illustrate how these unconscious habits can carry symbolic meaning.

Parking politics aren't limited to school leaders, of course. As Lindsay Mason, an Advanced Skills Teacher, pointed out in a 2013 blog post on @TeacherToolkit, occupying someone else’s self-designated parking spot can be as provocative as using their favourite coffee mug in the staffroom. It's not really about the parking space or the mug—it's about territory, identity, and belonging. In tight-knit school cultures, these small acts can trigger disproportionate emotional responses because they represent something more.

In sociological terms, this is the realm of symbolic interactionism—where meaning is created through everyday interactions and shared symbols. Who parks where, how, and why can serve as a barometer of school culture: collegial or hierarchical, inclusive or individualistic, humble or status-driven.

So, what can leaders learn from the car park?

1. Be conscious of the symbols you create. If you occupy the most prominent space, what does that communicate to others?

2. Recognise the emotional landscape of school life. For many staff, particularly in pressured environments, territorial cues matter.

3. Use the mundane to read the culture. Sometimes, school improvement doesn’t begin in the classroom—it begins in the car park.

Culture is built not only in grand statements but in a thousand tiny rituals. If we want to change the culture of a school, we may have to start with the car keys.

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Stop Branding Culture. Start Hearing It.

This post was originally published on Positive Young Minds: Stop Branding School Culture. Start Hearing It. - Positive Young Minds 

In recent years, we’ve seen a growing trend of reducing culture to neat, one-word slogans to sum up school culture like learning culture, power culture, strong culture, or effective culture. We’ve even seen leadership consultants and school improvement experts offering silver-bullet solutions—the one thing supposedly missing from a school’s culture. While these phrases can serve a purpose in setting vision or focus, they can also dangerously oversimplify something incredibly complex.

This reductionist, soundbite-driven approach risks narrowing the idea of school culture to something manufactured in boardrooms and leadership meetings. It presents culture as a leader’s responsibility alone—as if it can be designed, printed onto a glossy vision poster, and simply imposed on a school community.

But for me, this completely misses the point.

Culture is not made by leaders. It is made by people.

Let me take you beyond school culture and education for a moment to a story I think every school leader should know.

David Marquet, a retired U.S. Navy submarine captain, tells a compelling story in his book Turn the Ship Around. In 1999, he was unexpectedly assigned command of the USS Santa Fe, one of the worst-performing submarines in the fleet. His original posting had been to the USS Olympia, a very different type of vessel, and he’d spent a year learning every detail of that ship in preparation. But with the sudden reassignment, Marquet now found himself leading a crew aboard a ship he barely understood.

In many organisations—military or educational—this would have been a recipe for micromanagement, fear-based leadership, or paralysis. But Marquet took a radically different approach. He began by asking questions. Not rhetorical ones to assert dominance, but open, curious, practical questions: What do you think we should do? Why? What’s the risk here? What do you recommend? In doing so, he gave his crew autonomy, responsibility, and voice.

What’s striking is how this humble but focused method changed not only the performance of the submarine, but the morale, pride, and ownership of the crew. In other words, he changed the culture—not through command, but through conversation.

This has huge implications for school leadership.

We talk a lot about shaping school culture, setting the tone, or modelling expectations from the top. These are all important. But leadership cannot afford to be an echo chamber. Culture is not built in SLT meetings, CPD PowerPoints, or carefully worded policy documents. It is built in corridors, classrooms, offices, and staffrooms. It is built in the conversations we have with every member of the school—teachers, TAs, pastoral staff, site staff, admin teams, cleaners, midday supervisors, and of course, the students.

Let me be blunt: if you only talk to the teachers, you only know part of your school.

The receptionist may be the first-person families speak to. The lunchtime supervisor may witness patterns of behaviour invisible in the classroom. The caretaker may be your eyes and ears in spaces students use more freely. These individuals are not only contributors to school culture—they are curators of it.

Culture is never singular
One of the most common leadership blind spots is assuming that culture is consistent across a school. That your school has a culture. In reality, any large organisation contains subcultures. The culture in Year nine may feel different from that in Sixth Form. The ethos in the Maths department may not match that of the humanities team. Inclusion may look very different in one part of the school compared to another. This isn’t a flaw—it’s a reality.

The role of leadership, then, is not to flatten all culture into uniformity, but to understand the nuances, learn from them, and use them to build shared strength.

There is also a wellbeing dimension here. When school staff feel heard—genuinely heard—their sense of value increases. If a member of the cleaning staff has been in your school for 15 years but has never once been asked their opinion on behaviour, that’s a missed opportunity. Not every conversation will lead to a breakthrough, but the act of asking builds trust, and trust builds culture.

To be clear, I’m not advocating for chaos or collective decision-making on every strategic issue. I don’t expect there to be a proportional, vote-based system for all decisions. Schools need clear leadership.

We need to make hard decisions, drive improvement, and protect standards. But you cannot claim to know your school’s culture—or improve it—if you haven’t engaged with all the people who shape it.

So, here’s my call to action…

Let’s spend less time designing buzzwords for school culture, and more time walking the corridors. Let’s talk to people. Let’s listen—not just to opinions, but to stories. Let’s ask questions not just about pedagogy, but about purpose, practice, and daily experience.

Culture isn’t a slogan. It’s a conversation. And every school leader needs to be part of it—with everyone.

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Culture is Constructed, Not Discovered

According to theorists like Crotty (1998), constructivism suggests that meaning doesn’t exist in a vacuum, waiting to be discovered—it only emerges when consciousness engages with experience. Culture, then, isn’t something “out there” to be found. It’s something we create together through shared experiences, values, conflicts, and decisions.

In the context of a school, this means culture is not handed down from a mission statement or imposed by leadership alone. While the institution may predate its current staff, its culture is continually shaped by the people within it. As Bryman (2008) explains, culture acts as a “point of reference” rather than a fixed structure—something that exists in concept, but only takes shape through human interaction.

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Multiple People, Multiple Cultures
Social constructivism also acknowledges an essential truth: there are as many constructions of meaning as there are people. That’s crucial in schools, where culture doesn’t emerge uniformly. A teaching assistant, a headteacher, and a pastoral lead might all describe the school’s culture differently—and all be right. Each interpretation is built from unique perspectives, shaped by role, experience, power dynamics, and personal values.

This explains why efforts to capture school culture in a single Ofsted descriptor or policy document can feel both hollow and divisive. Leadership must understand that culture isn’t singular—it’s layered, dynamic, and sometimes contradictory.

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Culture Is Always in Motion
Another powerful implication of a social constructivist view is that culture is never finished. Because it’s continuously renegotiated through interaction, the culture of your school today is not the culture it will be in six months. A change in staffing, a safeguarding incident, a shift in leadership focus—any of these can recalibrate the social atmosphere in profound ways.

This has two major consequences for school leadership:

• You can’t define culture once and be done with it. Culture isn’t something you implement—it’s something you steward. It requires ongoing reflection, open dialogue, and responsiveness.

• You need to listen, often and widely. Because everyone’s construction of the culture may be different, it’s not enough to rely on your own view—or even your leadership team's view. You need to hear from the margins: from support staff, early-career teachers, SEND coordinators, lunchtime supervisors. Their stories are your culture.

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So What Should School Leaders Do?

• Create space for multiple perspectives. Social constructivism tells us that culture is plural. Make sure your understanding of it is, too.

• Acknowledge culture as changeable. Don’t treat it as a fixed asset—treat it as a living, breathing process that evolves with your community.

• Lead with humility. You are part of shaping culture, but so is everyone else. Share that responsibility intentionally.

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References

Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Crotty, M. (1998). The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. SAGE Publications.

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The Label Experiment & School Culture

Imagine you’re teaching a class and you're asked to choose just one word to describe each of your students. Now imagine that every student is required to wear that word on a badge every time they enter your classroom. You might be tempted to have a bit of fun with it. After all, there’s always one student who comes to mind straight away—often because they’ve been pushing your buttons all term. But what about everyone else? The quiet student who's been quietly building confidence? The unpredictable student who's shown real moments of brilliance? 

Reducing a whole human being to a single word isn't just reductive—it’s misleading. And uncomfortable.

Now flip the scenario. Let’s apply the same challenge to your colleagues. One word for each teacher in your department. One word for each member of the leadership team. Imagine them walking around with that word pinned to their chest. Suddenly, what started as a thought experiment becomes ethically murky, if not completely absurd. Because we know how unfair it is to be summed up by a single aspect of ourselves.

And yet—ironically—we often do this exact thing when we talk about school culture.

As school leaders, we are sometimes encouraged to distil our school's culture down into one-word descriptions: “inclusive,” “ambitious,” “supportive,” “rigorous,” “traditional,” “trauma-informed.” These words might sound impressive in a strategy document or Ofsted report, but they’re often a gross simplification of something far more complex.

School culture is not a slogan. It is not a branding exercise. It is the daily lived experience of students, staff, families, and leaders. It’s shaped by everything from behaviour policies to the way we greet each other in the corridor. From how decisions are made to how conflict is handled. From who gets heard in meetings to who feels safe in the staffroom.

For school leaders, the danger of trying to define culture in a single word is twofold:

1. It silences nuance. When we fix a label to our culture—especially a positive one—we risk overlooking the uncomfortable or unresolved parts of our community life. If we say our culture is “inclusive,” do we stop looking at who might still feel excluded? If we call it “high expectations,” do we risk ignoring the quiet burnout among staff?

2. It encourages performance over authenticity. A culture described in glossy terms can become a performance that staff feel pressured to uphold, even when their experience tells a different story. Leaders must be especially mindful of this. Culture isn’t what’s written in a handbook; it’s what happens when no one’s watching.

Instead of forcing culture into neat typologies, we need to cultivate spaces where the contradictions and complexities can be named and explored. We need to move from branding to belonging.

For school leaders, that means listening more than labelling. It means holding space for honest conversations. It means embracing complexity rather than fearing it.

So next time someone asks you to describe your school culture in one word, try this instead: tell them a story. Talk about your students. Talk about your staff. Talk about what’s changing, what’s working, and what still needs work.

Culture, like people, is always in motion. It deserves more than a badge.

 

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The Messy Truth About School Culture

School culture has become a buzzword—easy to say, harder to define, and even harder to change. It’s the thing leaders claim to “build,” Ofsted tries to “judge,” and consultants promise to “fix.” But somewhere along the way, the complexity of what culture really is—and how it actually works—has been lost. Instead, we’ve ended up with a flattened, overly sanitized version of culture: something static, surface-level, and easily branded. This blog is a call to reclaim the conversation.

Our current understanding of school culture remains trapped in an outdated, anthropological model—one that tries to freeze culture into neat typologies or lists of traits. This is a lethal oversimplification. Culture isn’t static; it’s living, breathing, and constantly evolving. A sociological approach is needed—one that embraces the messy, dynamic, ever-changing nature of real school life, rather than trying to box it into fixed categories.

Culture isn’t a checklist or a mission statement. It’s not captured in a policy document, nor embedded by motivational posters on the stairwell. Real culture is messier, more human, and infinitely more powerful than that. It is woven into the daily interactions, rituals, conflicts, compromises, and contradictions of school life. It lives in what schools reward, what they tolerate, what they overlook, and what they truly value when nobody is watching.

Because culture is a social entity—created and re-created in every interaction—it is inherently fluid. It evolves with each conversation in the staffroom, each classroom response, each parental encounter, and each new student who walks through the gates. That’s why culture cannot be fully defined by a single word like “toxic,” “performance,” “power,” or “learning.” These words may describe aspects of culture, but they can never capture its totality. To reduce culture to one of these labels is to deny its complexity and its capacity for contradiction, resistance, and change.

When we hijack culture for performative purposes—whether for branding, compliance, or inspection frameworks—we strip it of its richness and reduce it to a managerial tool. Worse still, we risk pathologising schools that don’t fit the dominant narrative—particularly those serving complex communities—by implying their culture is broken or deficient, rather than simply different, evolving, or in flux.

To truly engage with school culture is to enter a space of humility and curiosity, not control. It demands that we listen carefully, observe honestly, and resist the temptation to impose ready-made templates. It asks us to see culture not as something we manufacture, but as something we steward: fragile, organic, and deeply rooted in the lived experiences of everyone in the school community.

If we want to nurture meaningful school cultures, we must stop looking for clean definitions and start paying closer attention to the mess. Culture isn’t what we declare—it’s what we live.

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Culture Components - Heroes

Heroes and heroines are those who personify the values and beliefs of an organization. They can be living or deceased, real or fictional. In schools, this might include celebrating successful alumni in student assemblies or highlighting historical figures who inspire students to embody key values.

Harnessing Heroes to Strengthen School Culture
When used effectively, heroes and heroines can be powerful tools in shaping a positive school culture. Schools can leverage them in several ways:

• Role Models for Aspiration: Showcasing alumni who have achieved success in various fields can inspire students, reinforcing the idea that hard work and perseverance lead to achievement.

• Embedding Core Values: Recognising staff and students who consistently demonstrate school values—such as resilience, kindness, or integrity—can encourage others to adopt similar behaviours.

• Storytelling and Tradition: Schools can build a sense of identity through stories of past students, teachers, or historical figures who represent the school’s ethos. These narratives can be shared in assemblies, classroom discussions, or through visual displays around the school.

• Mentorship and Peer Leadership: Encouraging students to become ‘heroes’ in their own right—through mentoring programs, student leadership roles, or community projects—can foster a culture of responsibility and service.

• Recognition and Celebration: Regularly acknowledging staff and students who contribute positively to school life (e.g., through awards, house points, or public recognition) reinforces a culture where positive actions are valued.

However, heroes and heroines can also pose challenges to an organisation if they promote values that contradict the desired school culture. Additionally, an individual’s pursuit of hero status may come at the expense of teamwork and collective success. For example, a deputy head might pride themselves on working extreme hours, boasting to a newly qualified teacher about surviving on just four hours of sleep—subtly implying that such sacrifice is necessary for success. This kind of self-promotion can discourage collaboration and place unrealistic expectations on others.

In her 2013 paper From Heroes to Organisers: Principals and Education Organising in Urban School Reform, Ann Ishimaru argues that while the hero metaphor can be powerful in education, a shift towards distributed leadership fosters greater collaboration and leads to more effective schools. Encouraging teamwork over individual heroism can help create a sustainable and supportive school culture where leadership is shared, and success is collective.

By using heroes wisely—focusing on collaboration, mentorship, and values-driven recognition—schools can cultivate an environment where inspiration leads to action and individuals thrive as part of a strong, united community.

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Culture Components - Ceremonies

Schools must recognise the significant role that ceremonies play in shaping and reinforcing school culture. These events are not just about marking milestones or celebrating achievements—they are opportunities for schools to communicate the values, behaviours, and attitudes they want to instil in their community. How a school approaches ceremonies speaks volumes about what they prioritise and the kind of culture they are cultivating.

For example, when a school leader takes the time to personally recognise and celebrate staff achievements, whether it be promotions, successful projects, or professional milestones, it sends a message of appreciation and commitment to staff development. These ceremonies become a reflection of the leader’s values, signalling that they care about staff contributions and the professional growth of their team. By thoughtfully incorporating staff achievements into these ceremonies, leaders can foster a culture of mutual respect, recognition, and teamwork.

On the student side, schools should ensure that ceremonies such as reward assemblies or graduation celebrations don’t just focus on outcomes but also emphasize the behaviours and values that the school community holds dear. A ceremony that highlights teamwork, perseverance, or creativity is a celebration of the school’s ethos and serves as a reminder of what is truly valued in the community. Schools should consider how they use these moments to reinforce the school's vision and mission, ensuring that students leave with not just recognition, but a clear understanding of the culture they’re expected to uphold.

Moreover, ceremonies also serve as powerful tools for leadership visibility. When school leaders actively participate in or lead such events, it humanises them, making them more approachable and engaged with the community. This visibility strengthens the connection between leadership and the wider school body, ensuring that everyone feels a sense of unity and shared purpose. In this way, leaders can use ceremonies to model positive behaviour, strengthen relationships, and create a deeper sense of community.

In conclusion, ceremonies should not be viewed as optional or trivial events, but as deliberate opportunities to shape, reinforce, and celebrate school culture. When done thoughtfully, ceremonies can serve as a powerful tool, influencing how students, staff, and the broader community perceive the school’s values and goals. By carefully considering the design, messaging, and participation in these events, schools can ensure that their culture thrives and is consistently reinforced through meaningful rituals and celebrations.

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Culture Components - Rites

Rites are planned activities that consolidate school culture and leadership, including training programmes, engagement with external consultants, and staff and student surveys—all of which benefit organisational members. These rites are essential as they structure our understanding of how the school operates and reinforce its values.

For example, a staff or student survey not only gathers feedback but also signals what the leadership prioritises, as reflected in the questions asked. Reviewing responses allows school leaders to assess the impact of existing practices and determine whether they align with the desired culture.

Similarly, timetabling is a powerful cultural tool. It reflects the school’s priorities—whether in allocating time for professional development, ensuring student well-being, or emphasising collaboration. Thoughtful timetabling can reinforce a culture of high expectations, inclusivity, and continuous improvement, making it a key leadership decision that shapes daily experiences for staff and students alike.

School leaders must be intentional in how rites are designed and implemented. They need to consider:

• Alignment with values: Do these activities reflect the school’s ethos and vision?
• Inclusivity: Are all staff and students meaningfully involved, and do they feel valued?
• Impact and follow-through: How will feedback be acted upon to ensure real change?
• Consistency and tradition: Are there established rites that create stability and belonging, while allowing room for innovation?
• Communication: How are these activities framed and explained so that they foster trust and engagement?

When school leaders approach rites strategically, they strengthen the school’s identity, improve staff morale, and create a shared sense of purpose. They are not just symbolic; they are mechanisms for embedding culture, driving improvement, and ensuring that leadership decisions translate into everyday experiences.

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Culture Components - Stories

Stories are a powerful tool in shaping the culture of any organisation, and schools are no exception. They influence how staff and students perceive situations, understand events, and navigate the complex dynamics of the institution. In schools, stories often serve as cultural codes that help new staff understand and adapt to the micro-politics of their new environment. These stories not only convey information but also reinforce shared values, expectations, and unwritten rules.

Take the staff room, for example. This informal space is a breeding ground for storytelling, where seasoned staff share anecdotes, gossip, and experiences. From tales of last year’s staff social event to who’s dating whom, these stories offer new teachers a window into the social fabric of the school. They also provide subtle guidance on how to interact with different staff members, the leadership team, and navigate the school’s power structures. For many, the staff room becomes a vital space to learn not just about the curriculum but about how to ‘fit in’ and survive the day-to-day politics of school life.

Beyond the staff room, storytelling plays a key role in student assemblies and classroom discussions, particularly when school leadership emphasizes the value of education, hard work, and achievement. Leaders often use stories to illustrate school values, highlight success stories, or convey the importance of community. These stories can inspire students and help them align with the school’s mission and vision.

Moreover, school leaders themselves often share their ‘culture stories’—narratives about the school’s history, values, and future goals. These stories are essential for promoting the school’s ethos and attracting new staff, students, and even potential donors. Headteachers, for instance, will often craft stories about the school's culture to foster a sense of pride and belonging among the staff and community. These are stories you hear and think, “That’s the kind of school I want to be part of.”

This approach is not limited to schools. Many businesses, including Southwest Airlines, effectively use storytelling to shape their culture and attract talent. Their website features a dedicated section titled “Culture and Employee Experience,” which reads: "We provide our people with great jobs and benefits, and a world-famous culture where they’re encouraged to be their authentic selves." This modern approach highlights how storytelling can help define an organisation’s identity and build a positive work environment.

Schools, too, can learn from this model. A more modern way for schools to tell their culture story might involve showcasing it on the school website, sharing success stories, and making the ethos clear to both potential staff and the wider community. By doing so, schools can foster a strong, positive culture that resonates with all members of the school community, from staff to students and their families.

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Culture Components - Norms

Norms are the unwritten rules that guide behaviour. Essentially, norms dictate what is considered appropriate and inappropriate for a member of the organization. Norms are particularly important to organizational culture, as they provide an implicit framework for expectations, shaping how individuals interact and perform their roles. They help ensure consistency and predictability in behaviour, making the culture more easily controlled and reinforcing the values of the institution. This, in turn, can significantly impact the efficiency, reliability, and innovation of the organization.

Common and obvious norms include not smoking in the work environment or maintaining good timekeeping. In schools, norms are often clearly visible at both the whole-school and departmental levels. For instance, one department may have a corporate, business-like atmosphere in its workroom, while another may foster a more relaxed and jovial environment. These norms are not typically written down but are instead reinforced through the modelling of key stakeholders, such as department leaders and experienced staff members.

This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the 'Chameleon Effect,' where individuals unconsciously adopt the behaviours, attitudes, and practices of the dominant group. In a school setting, this can shape how new staff integrate into their teams and how students perceive behavioural expectations. School leaders play a crucial role in establishing and sustaining these norms. Their actions, language, and priorities signal to staff and students what is valued, influencing everything from pedagogical approaches to staff collaboration and student behaviour management.

Strong school leadership ensures that norms align with the broader vision and ethos of the school. Leaders who model high expectations, professionalism, and inclusivity set a standard that permeates throughout the institution. Conversely, if school leaders fail to address negative norms—such as complacency, low expectations, or resistance to change—these can become embedded in the culture and hinder school improvement. Therefore, an awareness of both explicit and implicit norms is essential for school leaders who seek to cultivate a positive and high-performing school culture.

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Culture Components - Architecture

The impact of architecture on school culture is increasingly significant, as institutions are often judged by their physical environment. A school’s layout, design, and use of space communicate its values and priorities, influencing both student behaviour and staff dynamics. Fostering a strong school culture does not require constructing a new building; rather, thoughtful use of existing spaces can shape the learning environment and reinforce leadership priorities.

For instance, strategic classroom placement can enhance professional development by pairing experienced staff with less experienced colleagues, fostering mentorship, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose. This not only supports staff growth but also contributes to a more cohesive school community. Similarly, communal spaces—such as staff rooms, shared offices, or breakout areas—can be designed to encourage informal professional dialogue, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement.

At the classroom level, design choices—such as seating arrangements and furniture layout—play a critical role in shaping interactions and pedagogical approaches. If the goal is to promote a collaborative ethos, desks might be arranged in small groups to encourage teamwork, a common approach in primary schools that supports cooperative learning. Alternatively, to cultivate a culture of debate, inquiry, and critical thinking, a U-shaped formation ensures all students can engage in face-to-face discussion, fostering deeper intellectual exchanges.

Beyond seating arrangements, visual and environmental elements also contribute to culture. The use of displays, student work, and inspirational messaging on walls can reinforce school values and aspirations. A school that prioritises student voice might dedicate space to student-led projects and achievements, while a school focused on academic excellence might highlight subject-specific milestones and exemplars of high-quality work. Even the availability of flexible learning spaces—such as open-plan areas, breakout rooms, or quiet zones—can signal an investment in diverse learning needs and approaches.

Effective school leadership recognises that physical space is not just a backdrop but an active component of the culture, shaping interactions, relationships, and learning experiences. By intentionally designing and utilising space in alignment with the school’s vision, leaders can create an environment that nurtures engagement, fosters a sense of belonging, and ultimately strengthens the school's ethos.

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Culture Components - Language

Organisations can have specific terminology, which can carry different meanings depending on the culture. At a basic level, this relates to homonyms—words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. For instance, the word bat can refer to a baseball bat or a flying nocturnal animal. In education, a common example is the term outstanding, which may imply excellence or an incomplete task.

For school leaders, the precise use of language is especially significant in shaping organisational culture. Ambiguity in terminology can lead to misinterpretations, particularly in areas such as performance expectations, safeguarding, and behaviour management. In staff training, for instance, a shared understanding of key terms is crucial to ensuring consistency in practice. How often has professional development been delivered in schools, only for each participant to walk away with a slightly different interpretation? Clarity in language fosters a shared vision and coherence across the school, reinforcing core values and expectations.

In the classroom, language plays an equally vital role in supporting learning and behaviour. Teachers often use specific instructional terminology, and without clarity, students may misinterpret what is expected of them. For example, the phrase work independently could mean working alone without speaking to some students, while others may interpret it as working without direct teacher support but still collaborating with peers. Similarly, behaviour expectations must be explicitly defined to ensure consistency—what one teacher means by listening might differ from another’s interpretation, leading to confusion for students moving between classes.

When leaders and teachers establish a common language, it not only improves communication but also strengthens the sense of belonging and direction within the school community. In turn, this consistency supports a positive, well-aligned school culture where both staff and students work towards shared goals with a unified understanding.

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Culture Components - Symbols

One key component when examining organisational culture is symbols. Symbols can take many forms, including words, gestures, images, or objects that carry particular meaning within a culture. In a school setting, these symbols help shape perceptions, reinforce values, and communicate leadership priorities.

For example, a headteacher delivering a speech about a new teaching and learning policy—perhaps introduced by a newly appointed assistant headteacher—serves as more than just an announcement. It acts as a symbolic gesture of commitment to the policy and a public display of support for the new leader. These moments are powerful in shaping how staff and students perceive change and leadership within the school.

One of the most recognisable symbols of a school’s culture is its logo. A well-designed logo can instantly communicate an organisation’s ethos, history, and values. It becomes a visual shorthand for the school’s identity, reinforced through uniforms, signage, official documents, and even digital platforms. Beyond aesthetics, a logo can instil pride, unity, and a sense of belonging among students, staff, and the wider community.

However, cultural symbols in schools extend far beyond logos. Rituals, traditions, and shared language—such as school mottos, house systems, or annual events such as information evenings—play a vital role in reinforcing an institution’s values. School leaders, therefore, must be intentional about the symbols they create, promote, and sustain, as these elements shape the lived experience of the school community.

Symbols also take the form of rituals and traditions. Events like morning assemblies, or even simple greetings from school leaders contribute to the culture of a school. When a headteacher personally greets students at the gate each morning, it signals a culture of warmth, accessibility, and engagement. Similarly, recognising students’ achievements—whether through merit badges, certificates, or a place on an honours board—reinforces the school’s values of hard work and excellence.

Another crucial cultural symbol is language. The words and phrases used by school leaders help shape identity and expectations. A school that refers to its students as “scholars” rather than “pupils” subtly reinforces a culture of high aspiration. Storytelling is another powerful leadership tool—when a headteacher shares the school’s history or success stories, they create a shared narrative that strengthens the school’s identity.

Even the physical environment can serve as a cultural symbol. The layout of a school, the way classrooms are designed, and the presence of communal areas all communicate something about the school’s values. A school that dedicates a wall to student artwork highlights creativity. A quiet reflection garden signals a focus on well-being. Leaders must consider how their school’s spaces align with and reinforce its broader cultural message.

School leaders play a crucial role in shaping culture, and symbols are a powerful yet often overlooked aspect of this process. Whether through logos, rituals, language, or physical spaces, these symbols send messages about what is valued and prioritised within the school community. By being intentional about the symbols they cultivate, school leaders can create a culture that inspires, unites, and strengthens their school’s ethos.

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Tournament Tables

Let’s explore how headline targets for measuring school performance have changed over time. This was discussed by George Leckie and Harvey Goldstein in their 2016 paper, The Evolution of School League Tables in England 1992–2016.

Since 1992, school performance tables have been published for state-funded secondary schools. Initially, they focused on a headline measure of school attainment, based on the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A to C grades in their GCSEs. The A grade* was introduced two years later.

In 2002, this system evolved to include ‘value-added,’ where the government introduced a measure assessing how well schools performed based on a pupil’s attainment on entry (measured by their primary school Key Stage 2 test scores). This was amended in 2006, requiring two of these GCSEs to be in English and Maths. At the same time, ‘value-added’ was replaced with ‘contextual value-added,’ which accounted for additional factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. However, in 2011, contextual value-added was scrapped and replaced once again with the simplified ‘value-added’ measure.

By 2016, the government introduced ‘Progress 8’ and ‘Attainment 8,’ which measured progress and attainment across English, Maths, and six further subjects. Then in 2017, a new GCSE grading system was introduced, replacing letter grades (A*–G) with a numeric scale (9–1).

The Cultural Impact on School Leadership
A key issue with Progress 8 and Attainment 8 is that they are reported against a national average for England, meaning that many schools will never meet the target. If all schools improve, the national average rises, making success a moving target. This reinforces a system of competition over collegiality, which is why I often refer to school performance tables as ‘School Tournament Tables.’

For school leaders, this creates an immense pressure to deliver results at all costs. The relentless focus on performance metrics drives a culture of data-driven accountability, often at the expense of broader educational values such as pastoral care, creativity, and holistic learning. Leaders are compelled to prioritize exam outcomes over long-term student development, not because they believe this is the best approach, but because the system demands it.

This culture shapes decision-making at every level. Schools are forced to strategically allocate resources to maximize Progress 8 scores, sometimes sidelining subjects that do not directly contribute to performance tables. Moreover, the pressure to avoid negative Ofsted judgments means that leaders must balance ethical considerations with the harsh realities of league table survival.

This constant evolution of school performance measures reflects deeper cultural values—particularly those of competition, accountability, and statistical benchmarking. Schools are expected to continuously adapt or risk collapsing under the statistical weight of performance tables and being effectively ‘knocked out’ of the tournament.

The question remains: Is this culture sustainable? And more importantly, does it truly serve the best interests of students, teachers, and school leaders?

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Culture Drain

There are numerous instances of successful school leaders being brought in to improve the culture of struggling schools. This is particularly common when a headteacher from an Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ school is promoted to an executive headship role, overseeing both their current school and an additional ‘failing’ school.

At first glance, this approach seems logical—if a leader has cultivated excellence in one school, surely they can replicate that success elsewhere? However, in several stark examples, this strategy has backfired. Rather than the struggling school improving, both schools have ultimately regressed, with the original successful school losing its Outstanding status.

I call this phenomenon the ‘Culture Drain’—the challenge of extracting the culture of one successful school and attempting to transplant it into another. In the process, the original school risks losing the very essence of what made it successful in the first place.

A notable example of this can be found in a 2016 Ofsted report on a school in Cumbria. The report suggested that leadership had been negatively impacted when the headteacher was tasked with turning around two additional failing schools. While some may debate the inspectors’ conclusions, the underlying issue is clear:

Why Culture Drain Happens

1) Leadership & Staff Are Stretched Too Thin
School culture is not just about the headteacher; it relies on strong, embedded leadership teams. When key figures are removed, it weakens the culture of the original school without necessarily improving the other.

2) Culture Is Deeply Rooted & Context-Specific
A school’s culture is not a one-size-fits-all formula. It is shaped by its staff, students, community, and history. Simply transporting a leader to a new environment does not guarantee the same cultural success.

3) Sustainable Change Requires More Than a Single Leader
Meaningful cultural transformation requires a team-driven effort. If the leadership structure relies too heavily on one person, it becomes fragile. Removing key staff risks destabilizing both schools.

While strong leadership is vital, sustainable school improvement cannot rely on a single individual. Rather than attempting to duplicate culture, a more effective strategy may be to develop and empower leadership teams within each school, ensuring cultural change is deep-rooted and resilient.

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Types of Culture

An increasing misconception in educational literature is the use of the word "culture" when what is actually being discussed is a very specific type of culture—organisational culture. However, before we explore this further, let us first consider the term "culture" itself, which Edgar Schein, the former professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, argues has a "checkered history." The term is frequently used in broad and varied ways, and this complexity can be traced back to 1952, when anthropologists Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn examined over 150 definitions of culture. Furthermore, this problem is compounded when investigating culture in schools, as such examinations have generally been superficial. To provide some clarity, Schein categorised culture into three distinct definitions.

Culture as a Person

The first definition of culture refers to an individual’s level of cultural knowledge and appreciation. A "cultured" person is someone who is well-versed in a variety of subjects, including architecture, classical art and literature, ballet, and other forms of high culture. It also encompasses traits such as curiosity, open-mindedness, and tolerance for people from diverse backgrounds. Often, when people describe someone as cultured, they imply a level of sophistication or a "good" education, though in reality, this is frequently associated with social elitism and an upper-class background rather than genuine intellectual depths.

Culture as a Society
The second definition of culture pertains to the customs, traditions, and rituals that societies or groups develop over time. In this context, "society" can refer to both a geographical location and the culture of a particular people within that location. For example, those living in the Arctic have developed vastly different customs and ways of life compared to those living in the Sahara. However, in the modern era, with the rise of the internet and increasing globalisation, societies are becoming less isolated, leading to the blending and evolution of cultural practices.

This definition is often used to describe national cultures, such as the culture of France or the culture of the United States, and can also be applied to racial or ethnic cultures within a given country.

Culture as a an Organisation
The third and most relevant definition, particularly in discussions about schools, is organisational culture. Organisational culture is a specific type of culture unique to an institution, guiding its values, operations, and overall ethos. The organisational culture of one school within a trust can differ significantly from another, just as two stores from the same retail chain may have vastly different workplace environments.

This distinction is crucial in education, as it explains why simply transferring a successful school leader into a struggling school does not always yield the desired results. Organisational culture is deeply embedded within an institution, shaping the behaviours and expectations of its members, and is not something that can be easily transplanted from one setting to another.

Recognising these distinctions is essential for meaningful discussions about school culture. When educators and policymakers talk about "changing the culture of a school," they are often referring to its organisational culture rather than broader societal or individual cultural aspects. Understanding this can lead to more effective strategies for school improvement and a clearer dialogue about what truly shapes educational environments.

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