My Leadership Journey and the SSAT Leadership Legacy Project

John Nicholson participated in the 2018-19 cohort of the Leadership Legacy project as a newly qualified teacher at Ryde Academy on the Isle of Wight. John is now Head of Design Technology and Computer Science and sits on the SLT with responsibility for whole-school attendance.

When I joined the SSAT Leadership Legacy Project, I was a newly qualified teacher with a big vision. Looking back at my original “think piece”, an impact report on introducing consistent STEM learning at Ryde Academy, it is incredible to see how the foundations of my leadership journey were laid during those crucial early months of action research.

My project aimed to address the worldwide STEM skills shortage by integrating real-world problem-solving across core subjects. I had a grand vision of two STEM lessons per half-term in every department. However, the Leadership Legacy Project taught me one of my first and most vital lessons in school leadership: having a vision is not enough; you have to bring people along with you.

Through the project, I engaged deeply with Prosci’s change management process and Goleman’s leadership styles. I quickly realised that my initial “visionary” approach sometimes felt commanding to colleagues who were already stretched for time. By pivoting to a “coaching” and “pacesetting” approach, I was able to work collaboratively with departmental STEM Champions, empowering them to take ownership of the curriculum. We scaled back the scope to focus on core departments where we could ensure high-quality delivery, and the data soon followed. Engagement, attitude to learning, and attainment in our focus groups rose significantly.

The LLP provided me with the strategic perspective required to step confidently into middle leadership. Since completing the project, my career progression has been rapid and deeply rewarding. The skills I developed in data analysis, stakeholder communication, and cross-departmental collaboration allowed me to successfully transition into several key roles:

• Lead on STEM: Expanding the work started during the LLP to build stronger industry links and collaborative projects with other local schools.
• Head of Department: Managing teams and driving subject-specific pedagogy.
• Trust Computing Network Lead: Taking a broader, cross-school perspective to align standards and share best practices across our entire multi-academy trust.
• Senior Leadership Team (SLT): Completing my NPQSL and stepping into whole-school leadership.

Today, I sit on the SLT leading on whole-school attendance. While the focus has shifted from STEM integration to attendance figures, the core methodology remains exactly the same as it was during my time on the project. I still rely on the principles I learned during the LLP: analysing the data to find the shortfalls, listening to stakeholders to understand the barriers, and implementing targeted, evidence-based actions to drive improvements. The ability to reflect on impact and pivot when an initiative is not working is a skill I learned when reviewing my early STEM lesson evaluations, and it is something I use every single day in SLT.

Advice for the Next Generation of School Leaders

If I could pass on a few key lessons to the emerging leaders in the 10th cohort, they would be:

• Adapt your leadership style: Do not rely on a single approach. Recognise when a situation requires a visionary, a coach, or an affiliative approach. Understanding your team’s individual needs is the key to stakeholder buy-in.
• Do not fear difficult conversations: Stepping up from teacher to leader means managing resistance. Face-to-face, empathetic communication is always more effective than avoiding the issue or hiding behind an email.
• Measure impact and be willing to pivot: If an initiative is not having the desired impact on student outcomes, do not stubbornly push forward. Change the scope, reassess the data, and try a new angle.

The most rewarding thing about school leadership is watching the ripple effect of your actions. Whether it is seeing a student suddenly grasp the real-world application of a maths equation or watching a whole-school attendance strategy ensure vulnerable students are safely in classrooms learning, leadership gives you the tools to enact meaningful change.

I am incredibly grateful to the SSAT Leadership Legacy Project for handing me those tools early in my career.

John Nicholson

Ryde Academy

---

---

Recommended