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.