Key Voices

This week we talk Cathal Lynch, strategic director for leadership and school improvement at Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust, and author of Building Belonging: A systematic approach to school improvement and emotional wellbeing. Cathal shares his fascinating experiences of establishing and leading a school for pupils with social and emotional mental health needs. He explains how working closely with educational psychologists and occupational therapists not only developed his understanding of, and practice with pupils, but also informed  his approach to school improvement.    Cathal explains more about the school improvement framework he has created, emphasising the importance of surveying all the stakeholders a school serves to inform lines of enquiry. We also discuss the need to build space and time for deep thinking and reflection as part of the school improvement process.