Leading a year group

When I look back at my time as a Head of Year in an inner-city school, it fills me with pride and affection. It was relentless, but it was also one of the most rewarding roles of my career. I loved it and I miss it immensely. Being responsible for a whole year group meant carrying a unique weight: not just ensuring students were safe and flourishing within school, but also overseeing their academic progress, their transitions, and the culture of the year group as a whole. At the time, I was responsible for two year groups and a transition lead for year 6. It was a privilege I didn’t take lightly. Leading a year group taught me more about leadership than any other middle leader role. Partly because it stressed the importance of routines, but also because a strong behaviour policy is foundational to any school’s success, it was about balancing people, systems, and priorities every day and learning to lead through relationships as much as through routines.

It's also important to note the context-dependent nature of a Head of Year role; for instance, I was a teaching Head of Year in an inner-city school. I am aware of numerous schools that employ non-teachers in pastoral roles or as pastoral managers. This piece of writing will not focus on a behaviour policy, but some learnings during my first middle leader post. I could have written extensively about transition, routines, and processes, but I will focus on these topics in future blogs.

Teacher Time

I quickly realised that form tutor meetings could either be a source of clarity or a drain on morale. My golden rule was simple: if it’s not worth meeting about, send an email instead. For example, if you are meeting to inform tutors of the date for parents' evening, that is a clear example of an email. Teachers are extremely busy, and every extra ‘demand’ on their time needs to be justified. That meant when we did gather, it was purposeful: sharing safeguarding updates, looking at academic progress (with specific data), aligning on routines, or simply celebrating tutors who had gone above and beyond. Having concrete data was crucial, as anecdotal information did not support the student, nor was it helpful to staff. This also ensured that when we met, it was meaningful, showing tutors that their role mattered and that their time was valued. I ensured that the meetings were sharp, which meant that the information shared was important; anything else was an email.

Protect Your Own Time

As a teaching Head of Year, my timetable was full. As a result of this, I was really strategic with my time. I learned early on to block out non-negotiable slots for learning walks, parental phone calls, and student check-ins (to name but a few things on a to-do list). In some schools, the Head of Year role is non-teaching; in others, it may be a pastoral manager, Head of House or a team member. This is, of course, is dependent on context, and the teaching Head of Year model thrived within the school I worked at. In other schools, it may be different. I had a non-teaching Assistant Head of Year who was invaluable. While I was in the classroom, they could follow up with parents, handle immediate issues, and ensure the day-to-day ran smoothly, especially if I was teaching. That partnership was powerful, and the students knew it. In any role, a leader's presence and visibility are invaluable. We were in sync with our leadership duties. I have seen leaders visit schools and implement their policies and processes immediately, without acknowledging the years it takes to build that culture, and in some cases, the financial resources the school may not have. It's essential to adapt to the context.

Transition

As Head of Year 7, transition was a massive part of the role. For me, this wasn’t just about a few days in July; it was about relationships built years before students set foot in the school. I visited primaries regularly, and I still remember meeting pupils in Year 4 who later walked through our gates as Year 7s. The look of recognition and reassurance on their faces made all the effort worthwhile. At one point, I became a governor at a feeder school (for 8 years), where I later became the Chair of Governors. Although it wasn’t strictly necessary for the Head of Year role, it provided me with invaluable insight into the curriculum, challenges, and culture of the schools our children were coming from. Transition is about more than logistics; it’s the opportunity to build trust early with the students and families. That rapport with parents was powerful, especially when students were being challenging. By having a strong transition during July, it ensured that students had an active knowledge of the school culture and were ‘September-ready’. From understanding the lunch and break schedule to the core routines within the school, from the core values of the school and how they are lived every day, to the Do Now Activity within every lesson. This is so important for the students and parents.

Parents

If you want to change the culture of a year group, you cannot do it without the support of parents. I tried to create as many entry points for families as possible: coffee mornings, information evenings, and even a book club. These weren’t huge events, but they built relationships. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do as a Head of Year is pick up the phone and have a positive conversation with a parent. Those small acts built trust. Parents knew I was invested in their child’s success, not just calling when things went ‘wrong’. Along with the small events, you will, of course, have your bigger events, such as parents' evening, Year 11 information evenings, seasonal events, and pre-transition events for KS3/4/5, which are all examples of bigger school events. If you are planning an event, ensure that you are supported in this process. Working in isolation here is very difficult, and you need a team to effectively run an event, whether that’s your SLT or year team.

Academic Progress and Pastoral Care

Too often, pastoral care and academic progress are treated as separate lanes. But as Head of Year, I was responsible for both, and I learned quickly that they are inseparable. I made time to look closely at the data. If a student’s results dipped suddenly, I asked: Is this a safeguarding issue? If a student improved dramatically, I asked: How do we recognise and celebrate this? Data was not just about numbers; it told stories, sometimes of struggle, sometimes of triumph. Regular meetings with KS3 or KS4 leads helped me identify patterns across the year group. SEN and pupil premium students were, of course, a focus, but I also refused to overlook the ‘quiet middle.’ Every child deserved to be seen. The structure of these meetings was critical; without a clear plan, discussions could easily stray into anecdotal information. Therefore, having a key focus within these meetings was critical, whether it was attendance and attainment data or a specific class. Following the meetings, it was vital to take action and support those groups of children. Once the information has been shared, discussed, and analysed, it must then be acted upon, working with HODs and SLT, which was critical in improving both the academic and pastoral care for the student.

Recognition

I’ve always believed recognition goes a long way. Postcards home, hot chocolate and cookies at break, positive phone calls… I could go on. These small gestures mean the world to students. One of my fondest memories is taking a group of children to the local park for an extended lunch. Another time, we walked to the city centre during the Christmas markets. On another occasion, we visited the museum in the City Centre to see a dinosaur exhibit. These trips cost little and sometimes were free, but the impact was huge. Students felt noticed, valued, and proud of themselves. Being strategic with recognition was important. For instance, if you saw multiple moments where students were showing a school value, consider writing a postcard for them on the same day or sending a text message home, using the same shared language of the school’s values. This was also the case during learning walks, too. I loved catching them at their best - it was powerful. This, alongside the behaviour policy, was essential because you cannot have one without the other.

Final Thoughts

Every school has its own systems, challenges, and structures. But the essence of the Head of Year role is universal: it is all about the student. Seeing the story behind the data, noticing the child behind the behaviour, and recognising the teacher behind the timetable. It taught me the importance of balance, consistency, and compassion. Most of all, it showed me the transformative power of leadership rooted in care. It laid the foundation for any leadership role I have taken on since and made me realise the significance of ensuring the culture, behaviour policy, and systems were embedded, as without them, implementing any Teaching and Learning initiative effectively is impossible. Teachers cannot teach without a strong pastoral care system. It’s a role I think of fondly, and one I would recommend to anyone who wants to understand the true heart of a school.