Leadership arrives early in primary schools. In your second year of teaching, you will usually be given leadership of a subject - one you may have no background in. In small schools, it is not uncommon to be given three or four to lead.

You may still be working out how to direct your teaching assistant effectively, and now you’ve got to lead all of the other teachers in your school to achieve the best results in your subject.

What’s more, training for primary middle leaders is in short supply - and, in many parts of the country, completely non-existent. You might get a one-day course, if you’re lucky. And currently, any training is likely to happen remotely.

So, how can those in their first year of primary teaching prepare for the next step up?

Before teaching, I was an officer in the Royal Navy. There, training to be a middle leader (junior officer) lasted months, with time given for theoretical instruction and practical exercises. We learned how to lead from the middle: to be the first among equals.

Leadership is an artform that takes years to master yet it is based on simple premises: integrity, respect for others and communication. If you can focus on developing these three qualities, then you will be in an excellent position to take on that first middle leadership role and to build your experience from there. Here’s how to do it.

Integrity

As a middle leader, you sit at the centre of the school, doing what Andy Buck describes in Leadership Matters as “managing up, down and across, implementing the changes that come from above and managing the situation below”. It is easy to be buffeted by the winds of change and the whims of others; to prioritise pleasing people over taking hard choices.

But as a leader, you’re in charge and that means taking charge: doing the research, making the plan and, crucially, taking advice that is relevant. Teachers are always keen to share shiny new ideas that work in their schools. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will work for yours. If your school has few children with English as an additional language (EAL), will that reading idea from a school with 75 per cent EAL work for you?

It can be even harder when those in senior leadership present a shiny new idea for you to implement. If they can’t explain the plan to you, then you will not be able to explain it to staff (and it will be you who loses respect from them). Saying “no” is one of the hardest parts of being a leader, but an essential part.

Respect for others

It’s hard to gain respect but easy to lose it, which is why it is vital to model showing respect and gratitude for others. Do we have to thank people for doing their jobs? Maybe not. Does it inspire teams to work harder and garner respect for you as a leader? Absolutely. Thank people for their contributions and do it publicly.

If staff have made time for your book look or lesson observation, make sure you recognise their efforts. Come with questions rather than pontiffs: you do not teach this class or this year group, so how can you tell them how to do their job? Being a leader and being an expert are not the same thing.

If an experienced member of staff gave you great advice on a new curriculum initiative, give them a mention when presenting the plan at the staff meeting. They might not remember being thanked but they will most definitely remember if you pass off their idea as your own.

Showing that you rely on others and value their contribution will not make you look like a weak leader. For a time in education, there was the idea of the “hero” leader: the big personality sweeping in to save the day. These heroes did save the day, up until they left and things went back to the bad old ways. Good leadership means that plans and routines can progress without you. In the armed forces, “being the hero” is a term of derision, something we would do well to remember in schools.

A big part of a leader’s integrity is humility. If something goes wrong (even if it wasn’t your fault), take responsibility, apologise and do your best to fix it. If something goes right, be humble about it.

Communication

Teaching is all about communication and yet this is a skill that it’s very easy for leaders to fall down on. Who needs to know your plan? Do they need to know all of it? Is everyone aware of why this is the plan, as well as what they need to do and how?

As a general rule, if you need staff to do more than one thing, send it in an email. And always put a sensible completion date in the message. Then send a reminder a few days later and another the day before. Timing is important, too. Tuesday lunchtime is often the best time to send out a request as Monday is out of the way and the weekend is not yet in sight.

If there is a vital message, give it out verbally and follow it up in writing as well. Then put a copy on the system where everyone can find it (don’t leave staff to hunt through old emails).

Am I a leader?

All leaders feel doubt. If you are questioning whether you are a good leader, you are more likely to be a good leader. Think of famously bad leaders: the self-proclaimed heroes and saviours, those quick to dismiss or blame others, the terrible and erratic communicators.

One bad decision does not make you a bad leader - it is how you move on that counts. If a change of plan is needed, then apologise first and explain why it is needed in detail. Understanding is the first step towards acceptance. If you need to have a difficult conversation, do it early. Just be careful not to wield the truth like a sledgehammer.

Leadership can be difficult, but less so when you keep it simple. Show integrity, be respectful of others and - most vitally - communicate.

Matthew Lane is the religion and worldviews lead at Hethersett CE VC Primary School in Norfolk

This article originally appeared in the 19 February 2021 issue under the headline “Been thrown in at the deep end? Learn how to swim”