Leading high-stakes conversations: An advanced strategy day for school & college leaders

Course introduction

Difficult conversations are a daily reality in school leadership. However, high- stakes conversations those with significant professional, legal, or emotional implications require a distinct level of skill, strategy and resilience. This advanced, interactive workshop is designed for senior leaders and or participants who attended the Dealing with Difficult People and Managing Conversations course, who have already mastered the basics of managing difficult people and are now facing the unique points of leadership responsibility.

This course moves beyond general techniques to focus on specific, challenging scenarios that define modern school leadership. We will explore and rehearse strategies for navigating conversations around staff capability, performance management, challenging families and the intense pressure of accountability, all while maintaining professional integrity and focusing on school improvement.

This is a practical, senior-level extension course intended to build confidence, enhance strategic communication and provide a robust framework for leading through the toughest professional interactions.

What we will cover throughout the day

• Prepare and script for high-stakes conversations with clear, evidence-based objectives and an understanding of the legal and policy framework.

• Prepare and script for high-stakes conversations with clear, evidence-based objectives and an understanding of the legal and policy framework.

• De-escalate and reframe challenging, hostile, or complex encounters with parents and carers, setting firm boundaries while working towards resolution.

• Lead with resilience and clarity during periods of high-stakes accountability, including Ofsted, Estyn, or ISI inspections.

• Manage difficult dynamics within your leadership team, including holding peers to account and managing effectively.

• Develop personal strategies for emotional resilience and managing the personal impact of high-conflict work.

Target audience

This course is specifically designed for senior education leaders from all sectors (Maintained schools, MATs, Independent Schools, and Colleges across England, Scotland, and Wales) who hold significant line management and strategic responsibilities.

Also those who attended the Dealing with Difficult People and Managing Conversations course.

It is ideal for:

• Headteachers, Principals, and Heads of School
• Deputy Headteachers and Assistant Headteachers
• MAT Senior Leadership (e.g., Executive Heads, Directors of Education)
• Heads of Department, Heads of Year, and Phase Leaders with senior responsibilities
• School Business Managers (SBMs) and Bursars with senior team leadership roles
• Attendance Officers

Prerequisite: This course assumes participants have a working knowledge of, or foundational training in, basic difficult conversation techniques (such as those covered in the Dealing with Difficult People course).

Trainers for this course

Steve Burnage

Having spent over 25 years teaching and leading a variety of schools across the UK, Steve is a sought after as an expert practitioner, consultant, and trainer. He specialises in developin...g effective school leadership at all levels; and supporting outstanding and impactful classroom practice, pedagogy, learning and teaching.

Steve is lead quality assurance inspector for The British Council in Egypt, where he also leads successful training programmes for school leaders and teachers. These programmes have now been taken up by The British Council in Nepal and Saudi Arabia where programmes having been piloted with teachers and school leaders and are now due for implementation academic year 2021-2022.

Steve has led teaching and learning development projects in China, Kazakhstan, and Kurdish Iraq.

In China, he worked in partnership with the Ministry of Education to train Chinese teachers in modern classroom pedagogy and practice as part of the Chinese Government’s 2020 Education reforms.

In Kazakhstan, Steve worked with partners from Cambridge University Press to train local teachers to plan, write and implement a series of primary textbooks as a tool for remote education reform.

In Kurdish Iraq, Steve worked in partnership with a large chain of international schools to train teachers and school leaders in modern pedagogy and leadership, quality assurance and inspection. This was part of a larger project to lead education reform across Kurdish Iraq which has had to be put on hold due to the pandemic.

Currently, Steve is co-ordinating leadership development and curriculum development projects for government schools in India, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia. This includes working with a Mumbai based University to plan, write and lead a post graduate diploma in Global Education, alongside leading leadership, and teacher training for many schools across India.

Alongside Steve’s training and education reform projects, he receives frequent invitations to speak at international education conferences, features in a wide range of training videos and online seminars, hosts regular interactive webinar sessions on key aspects of effective classroom practice and school leadership; and coaches and mentors headteachers worldwide.

Steve is a lead trainer for The British Council, and lead trainer and examiner for Cambridge Assessment International Examinations and the International Baccalaureate Steve writes, delivers and hosts training and consultancy in schools, colleges, academies and conference venues throughout the UK, Europe, The Indian Subcontinent, Central and southern Asia and the Middle East as well as supporting organisations in planning, producing and delivering on-line and blended learning education courses.

Steve writes a regular column for several UK education publications and is currently writing a teacher development training manual for an international publisher. In addition to his work in education reform and development, Steve is a professional musician, choral conductor and arranger who leads choral workshops for amateur and professional singers.Read more

See what others have to say about us

“Thank you for a great course. I have taken the strategies away with me including breaking state, following up the conversation via email and flipping the situation.”

“Absolutely fantastic course, I really enjoyed it. The trainer was excellent in delivering the course in a friendly and fun but informative way. I have learnt new skills that I can take away and hopefully practice.”

“Fantastic, it’s given me lots of ideas and strategies. I can use it in the classroom with parents and with staff, especially moving forward into my new role as a Deputy Head. Engaging and purposeful, I can really make changes around the school.”

About the venue

Stay at home, get comfortable and enjoy our live interactive course via Zoom! You’ll receive the link a few days before the course date so you can get prepared (and excited) ahead of time.

Handy course logistics

• The course will run via Zoom from 9:15 am – 3.00pm, however, the trainer will be available 15 minutes before and after the course times to answer any questions.
• You’ll receive mid-morning, lunch and afternoon breaks to re-energise.
• This course is designed to be interactive and inclusive. We welcome questions and discussions throughout and we want you to be comfortable and stress-free no matter where you join us from!
• Your course handouts will be emailed to you on the morning of the course.
• Additional links and information will be emailed to you before and during the course.
• This course is also available as an in-house / INSET training session at your school. Contact us for details.
• Please note – the cost is per person
• Please note – the early bird rate of £185+ VAT ends 28 days prior to the course date, after this the standard rate of £215+VAT will be charged.