Schools done smarter, not harder

Award-winning Headteacher, Andy Done, has shared a blueprint for headteachers that outlines his approach to taking a school from struggling to achieving the top 3% for attainment in the country.

The ‘School Done Smarter’ guide, developed in association with leading edtech provider Learning by Questions, is aimed at primary school headteachers looking for a straight-forward, practical guide to school improvement.

“With increasing budgetary and curriculum pressures, it’s never been more challenging to be a headteacher, especially when faced with the need to turn things around quickly,” says Andy.

“The temptation is to try lots of different initiatives, and teacher workload becomes unmanageable.”

The released blueprint details how schools can succeed by following a deliberate staged plan, focused on shared purpose and consistency.

“On the first day in my new role as Headteacher at Masefield Primary School I was faced with a line of eight children outside my office waiting to be ‘told off’.

“It was at that point I realised that what we needed was, in fact, a complete culture reset. And from there our journey began.”

Key aspects of the ‘School Done Smarter’ approach – which include encouraging everyone to ‘get on the bus’ – involve finding a ‘why’, building culture, embedding consistency, fostering belonging and measuring impact.

The results have been that attainment at Masefield Primary School has risen, with combined scores increasing from 58% to 87%, and staff retention and wellbeing have improved.

Andy has since been named Headteacher of the Year 2025 in regional awards and is a contributor for National PedTech Partnership and Ambition Institute.

To download the free ‘School Done Smarter’ blueprint for headteachers visit: https://primary.lbq.org/hub/headteacher-guide-school-improvement-top-attainment

Downloadable examples, templates and resources are included within the guide to help headteachers who would like to start their journey to leading a smarter, more successful school.