As policy chaos mounts, Pepe Di’Iasio argues education’s future depends on collaboration, government support, and leaders reclaiming the narrative - reflecting the ASCL Annual Conference theme of ‘Forward Together.’

Forward Together

When the noise around education policy is particularly intense, as it is right now, it can feel as though policymakers are under the illusion that schools and colleges can be run from government offices in Whitehall – that people, far removed from the realities of teaching and supporting children and young people, believe they know best about how education should operate. 

In my last article for Leader magazine, I wrote about how there was a ‘policy tsunami’ on the horizon. Since then, it has well and truly arrived, with a succession of white papers, bills, reviews, and assorted announcements landing thick and fast.

Such volume of policy was never going to be easy to manage or deliver, particularly when it often feels disjointed and lacking a coherent, underpinning strategy. But the challenge has been made significantly worse by poor government communications.

When policy is done to schools and colleges, not with them

Announcing policies through press releases – meaning that the first time school and college leaders learn about new expectations is via the morning news – is a world away from the co-construction that we were promised when Labour was in opposition.

Previous Conservative administrations were guilty of the same approach, and it seems this way of working is so deeply embedded within the machinery of government that policymakers repeat the same mistake regardless of political persuasion.

And it is a mistake. Because what happens in schools and colleges – how great outcomes are delivered for children and young people, how families are supported, how vulnerable pupils, those with special educational needs, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are helped – is delivered by you.

The dominant story about our education system should be a positive one. Our schools, colleges, and trusts uphold high standards, providing an extensive curriculum with professionalism, expertise, and deep care for their students.

Yet you would hardly know this from the daily stream of negative headlines, reactive announcements, and the overly critical tone we hear too often from politicians and commentators.

Of course, democratically elected governments have the right to set the overall direction of education policy. But what school and college leaders need from policymakers is clarity, support, and the resources required to meet the expectations placed upon them.

You do not need reminding that there is a serious shortfall in this last area. Funding pressures remain relentless with inevitable consequences for staffing and workload. One of the most alarming recent statistics came from a wellbeing survey by Education Support (tinyurl.com/22ctwuy6), which found more than a third of education staff are at risk of probable clinical depression.

It found that “stress remains a persistent and normalised part of working in education, particularly among senior leaders”. The report continues: “School and college leaders are at the greatest risk of negative health consequences due to their work. They report the highest levels of burnout, exhaustion and acute stress.”

Policymakers should be far more concerned about the health of the workforce they rely upon to deliver high-quality education. Greater focus must be placed on improving wellbeing and morale, rather than continually adding further expectations to the inspection framework.

Having said all of the above, I fear governments may always struggle to operate in a more constructive and productive way. They are frequently buffeted by the demands of the 24-hour news cycle and the pressures of shifting opinion polls. Recently, for example, we woke to reports of a previously unannounced and poorly detailed mobile phone ban in schools – emerging at precisely the same moment the government was facing mounting pressure to introduce an Australia-style social media ban for children.

This leads me to conclude that articulating the real challenges facing education, and identifying workable solutions in the best interests of children and young people, is something we, as a profession, must lead. This will only be possible if we work actively and purposefully to bring all stakeholders, and particularly policymakers and parents, with us.

Why we must lead the next chapter – Forward Together

This spirit of collective endeavour is captured in ASCL President Jo Rowley’s theme for our annual conference – Forward Together. It offers an antidote to negative headlines, celebrates the many strengths of schools, trusts, and colleges, and signals a commitment to remain forward-looking and solution-focused.

The most important relationship of all is with parents. For many schools and colleges, however, this has become increasingly challenging. Most parents are supportive and recognise the importance of schools maintaining rules that benefit all pupils. They understand the pressures of limited time and resources.

But some families, often struggling with significant challenges in their own lives, can add significantly to the pressures on leaders and staff. These tensions are frequently heightened by an entirely understandable desire for extra support for their child’s needs, but sometimes those expectations just cannot be delivered within current funding and staffing constraints.

Improving these relationships must therefore be a key priority. We must find ways to ensure that, wherever possible, parents and educators are working in partnership and pulling in the same direction.

However, this responsibility cannot rest solely on the efforts of individual institutions, which are already working hard to foster positive relationships. It also requires clearer national guidance from the government on acceptable parental behaviour and expectations, and perhaps even a national campaign about the importance of respectful, constructive engagement with schools and colleges. Bringing together policymakers and parents in pursuit of shared solutions to deeply complex problems is, of course, easier said than done.

It demands ceaseless determination from our profession to influence and shape policy constructively, sustained by energy, resilience, and optimism. That can feel daunting when time is short, funding is tight, and staffing pressures are intense. And there will inevitably be frustrations and setbacks along the way.

But if we do not lead this work, who will? And if not now, when?

Pepe Di’Iasio
ASCL General Secretary
@pepediiasio.bsky.socia

ADVICE AND SUPPORT

For help, advice, and support on professional and employment matters, contact the ASCL member support hotline (www.ascl.org.uk/hotline). In addition, Education Support runs a helpline (tinyurl.com/5acsae8z) for education staff, providing immediate, confidential emotional support on 08000 562 561.

Designed with IMPACT

© 2026 Association of School and College Leaders | Valid XHTML | Contact us