Brave Heads

​In a politically driven educational system where schools – and therefore also the professionals who work within them – are judged on a succession of increasingly reactive KPIs, how is a head teacher supposed to lead his staff in a way that best serves the children in their collective care, rather than the need to demonstrate ‘improvement’ according to more or less arbitrary targets? According to Dave Harris of the Nottingham University Samworth Academy, the answer is ‘through bravery’; and in this compellingly straight-talking book, he explains exactly what he means by that, step by step. It’s not about playing the hero. It’s about keeping learners at the heart of everything that happens; daring to ignore the powers that be if they’re pushing you in the wrong direction; and above all, about understanding the critical importance of a culture of wonder that can be embraced by an entire community.