Before You Plan September, Ask Yourself These Questions

Classrooms are getting quieter and, for many schools, the pace has finally begun to slow.

After months of revision sessions, SATs, GCSEs, A Levels, reports and end-of-year events, everyone deserves a chance to breathe.

But before September planning begins in earnest, this is perhaps the most valuable leadership window of the year.

It's the opportunity to stop reacting and start reflecting.

Not simply asking "Did we get through the year?"

But asking:

"What did this year teach us?"

Looking Beyond Wellbeing Week

Over the past few years, wellbeing has rightly become a priority in education.

Schools have introduced wellbeing days, mindfulness activities, resilience programmes and staff support initiatives.

These all have their place.

But it's worth asking an uncomfortable question.

Were we treating the cause... or simply putting a plaster over the symptoms?

Stress rarely appears overnight.

Student anxiety.
Teacher burnout.
Behaviour changes.
Attendance concerns.

They're usually signals that something deeper is happening.

If we only respond when the symptoms appear, we'll find ourselves having the same conversations next July.

What Did Exam Season Really Reveal?

Exam season shines a spotlight on everything that happens throughout the year.

Ask yourself:

• Which students struggled the most?
• Which staff felt overwhelmed?
• Where did anxiety increase?
• What support worked well?
• What didn't work as planned?
• Were interventions proactive or reactive?

Sometimes the answers aren't about exams at all.

Perhaps students lacked confidence long before revision began.

Perhaps teachers were already carrying workloads that became unsustainable once exams arrived.

Perhaps resilience wasn't the issue—perhaps pupils simply hadn't been taught the strategies to manage pressure effectively.

Reflection helps us uncover the root causes rather than repeatedly responding to the same symptoms.

September Starts Now

Many schools will already be planning timetables, staffing and INSET days.

This is the perfect opportunity to think beyond logistics.

Ask yourself:

What culture do we want to create next year?

Could September include:

• Staff wellbeing training that is practical rather than performative?
• Student resilience workshops that teach lifelong coping strategies?
• Opportunities for emotional regulation throughout the school day?
• Time for staff to reflect, collaborate and reset?
• A shared language around mental health and wellbeing across the whole school?

The most successful schools don't simply respond well during times of pressure.

They build systems that reduce unnecessary pressure in the first place.

Creating a Calmer School Culture

A calmer school isn't a quieter school.

It's a school where people feel psychologically safe.

Where staff know they are supported.

Where students understand how to recognise stress before it becomes overwhelming.

Where leaders model balance rather than exhaustion.

Where wellbeing isn't another initiative.

It's simply part of how the school operates.

Reflection Leads to Better Decisions

As leaders, it's tempting to jump straight into planning.

But the strongest plans begin with honest reflection.

Take time this summer to ask:

• What patterns kept appearing?
• What conversations did we have repeatedly?
• What was really causing the challenges we experienced?
• What needs to change before September?

Because when we understand the root cause, we stop firefighting.

We start building schools where both students and staff can genuinely thrive.

September doesn't begin on the first day back.

It begins with the questions we ask ourselves in July.

I work with schools to prepare their students for the mental challenge of exams. I offer 1-day CPD workshops and Inset Days Training for schools to help build Teacher and Student Resilience to exam stress. 

Want me to work with your staff on Exam Stress and Thinking Skills? Download my CPD pack at www.geraldinejozefiak.com/cpd