Dealing with and planning for uncertainty is a key part of leadership.

But as school leaders gather for the annual Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) conference this weekend, you could argue that the future looks less clear than ever.

Some of the challenges are, of course, familiar ones: school funding, Ofsted and the pressures of accountability.

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But in 2020, headteachers are facing a new government, new Ofsted inspections reinventing what it means to be a “good” school and an exam season that is about to get under way amid the coronavirus outbreak.

How the country responds to the spread of the virus has the potential to put everything else on the back burner.

But whatever happens, schools will find themselves on the front line of helping society to function.

If schools are forced to close for any period of time, ASCL’s general secretary Geoff Barton has already called for the government to suspend league tables.

Speaking to Tes ahead of the conference, Mr Barton said: “School leaders are used to dealing with uncertainty but this is usually within education.

“The difference this time with the coronavirus is that it is happening nationally and it is outside their domain and not something they can control.

“This does create some anxiety for school leaders. But they will be working to ensure that their schools are doing what they can for their pupils and that their communities are kept informed.”

There is great uncertainty in the day-to-day world of education, too.

Schools are now working out what the funding promises made in the run-up to the general election, plus those that were outlined in the Budget this week, will mean in reality.

And they are also coming to terms with a new Ofsted inspection framework that has placed a greater emphasis on the breadth of the school curriculum. 

Mr Barton said: “School funding has not gone away as an issue. Heads are now trying to work out, if teachers’ salaries start on £30,000, what will that mean for other teachers? What will it mean for our budgets? And we have been pressing for answers on this.”

This weekend’s conference should, hopefully, shed a little more light on what the future holds for heads as delegates will hear from two of the most important figures in the sector.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has agreed to take on leaders’ questions, while Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman may have to address their concerns about the new framework.

Mr Barton said: “This is the education secretary’s first major outing since the government won a thumping majority.

“For years, we have had governments with small majorities and what I would call managerialism, where the only answer seems to have been to open a hub somewhere.

“Now we have a majority government, will we hear more about the major levers that government can use to change lives for young people?”