Why strategy matters now more than ever
Running a school has always required both courage and care. Yet, as our recent research has shown, the pressures today are greater than ever. The New Art of Headship highlights a sense of “perma-crisis” where financial pressures, parental demands, regulatory change and staff wellbeing all compete for attention. The Art of the Bursar shows Bursars juggling finance, estates, HR, compliance and IT – often with limited internal support. In this climate, a clear and actionable strategy is not just a document to produce; it is the compass that enables a school to navigate uncertainty with purpose.
The start of a new academic year always brings pressing issues for Heads, Bursars and Governing Bodies. Yet it also offers a valuable chance for senior leadership to pause, step back, and shape the future with confidence.
Escaping the firefighting trap
Many school leaders describe their days as a sequence of urgent demands, each one important, each one absorbing. Without a strategic framework, decision-making risks becoming reactive. The remedy is clarity: defining what matters most and using it to filter daily choices.
The challenge for leadership is to move beyond the day-to-day and carve out time for horizon scanning. Strategy offers that pause, creating shared focus and direction for the school community.
The power of Head-Bursar synergy
One of the strongest themes across both The New Art of Headship and The Art of the Bursar is that strategy cannot rest on one person alone. The Head brings educational vision; the Bursar provides the operational and financial lens. Together, supported by Governors, they form a leadership triangle capable of balancing ambition with realism.
This co-leadership is not automatic. It requires trust, clarity of roles and shared ownership of outcomes. Schools that invest in strengthening these relationships create the conditions for effective, collaborative leadership.
Hearing before steering
Strategy begins with understanding. Both reports highlight how parental expectations, staff attitudes and pupil wellbeing have shifted in recent years. Parents expect more, staff seek greater transparency, and pupils are increasingly affected by issues of mental health and inclusion. Listening also needs to extend beyond the senior team to include academic and pastoral leads, marketing and admissions, and development. Equally important are external voices – parents, pupils, alumni, partner schools and the wider community. A strategy built without these voices risks being ignored – or worse, resisted. Gathering evidence from stakeholders, whether through surveys, focus groups or informal conversations, gives leaders a foundation for priorities that resonate and endure.
From vision to frameworks that work
Vision alone does not change schools; structures and systems do. The Art of the Bursar shows how strategic capacity can be created by rethinking responsibilities, investing in middle management, and aligning governance. The New Art of Headship highlights the need for Heads to delegate more, develop their senior teams and free up time for strategic leadership.
Schools that succeed in delivering strategy build the right architecture around it: organisational design, financial planning and clear governance frameworks that ensure decisions can be implemented effectively.
Courage without recklessness
Both Heads and Bursars report that financial sustainability is the most pressing challenge. VAT on fees, payroll pressures, and declining affordability mean that traditional models cannot simply continue. Schools are experimenting with new income streams, partnerships and digital transformation.
The best strategies blend prudence with courage. Bold decisions – whether expanding provision, forging partnerships, or investing in new technology – must be grounded in evidence and shaped by community values.
People first, plans second
Our research makes clear that leadership today is as much about people as it is about plans. Resilience, emotional intelligence and cultural fluency are repeatedly identified as essential qualities. Strategy cannot succeed if staff feel excluded, pupils feel unheard, or Governors feel sidelined.
That is why many schools now pay as much attention to the process of delivering strategy – how people are engaged and supported – as to the content of the plan itself.
Eight steps to turn strategy into action
Delivering strategy is a journey. From our research and consultancy experience, eight practical steps stand out:
- Clarify purpose – Define the core outcomes your school must achieve in the next 3–5 years.
- Gather evidence – Combine financial analysis with insight from both your school community and the wider sector. This means listening to parents, pupils, staff and alumni, but also scanning external factors such as market trends, competitor positioning, demographic shifts and regulatory changes.
- Align leadership – Ensure Head, Bursar and Governors share ownership of outcomes and priorities.
- Choose bold but achievable goals – Stretch thinking, but root it in reality.
- Design the architecture – Create structures, roles and financial models to support delivery.
- Communicate and engage – Share the story with staff, parents and pupils in language that resonates.
- Invest in capability – Support leaders with the skills, coaching and professional development they need to deliver the strategy.
- Review and adapt – Keep the strategy alive through regular review and course correction.
Closing: An Invitation to Act with Confidence
This academic year will bring both challenge and change. Yet with the right strategy, it can also bring renewal. A strategy built on evidence, co-leadership and courage can unite your community, safeguard your future and enable your pupils to thrive.
If your leadership team is ready to move from reflection to action, now is the moment. Begin the conversations, gather the insight, and build the structures that will carry your school forward. And when you want an experienced partner to walk alongside you on that journey, RSAcademics is ready to support you.