The next step

Over the years, I’ve had quite a few messages from trainees, experienced teachers, and those taking their first leap into SLT. Some ask for feedback on a cover letter, others want to talk things through before applying, and many want to know, ‘Am I ready?’.

It’s always humbling to be asked. I never take it for granted. And because I’ve found myself giving similar advice, I thought it was time to write it down. This isn’t a step-by-step guide. You won’t find buzzwords or clever acronyms (I certainly try to avoid those, as no one in education has a clear definition for any given buzzword, but that’s another piece of writing altogether). What you will find are three things I believe are essential when applying for any role in education: understanding the role, understanding the school, and crafting a compelling application. That’s it. I have written this with an external candidate in mind, as an internal candidate would likely have some prior knowledge of the school.

Know the Role

Before you even begin to write the cover letter, pause. Ask yourself: do I understand what this role involves? I don’t mean vaguely. Print out the job description. Highlight key responsibilities. Explore what it means to use data in the role or line manage others within a team. Is there any current experience or qualification that will support you in the role? In this stage, it’s also valuable to annotate or note down how and what experience links in. Too often, I see applications that list experiences but fail to connect them to the specific role they’re applying for. Your job here is to make that link obvious and articulate it clearly. Don’t assume that you know the role if you have heard the title before.

So if it says, ‘lead on whole-school CPD,’ don’t write about attending a great INSET or CPD session once. Show how you’ve designed, delivered, or evaluated CPD or supported it. If it’s ‘improve outcomes in KS4,’ provide the data, interventions, follow-up, and impact. Be specific. Avoid vague statements like, ‘I’ve always been passionate about teaching and learning’ or ‘I am extremely hard-working.’ This makes your application generic. You don’t need to tick every box. But you do need to show that you understand what the role demands and that you’re ready for it. Use the language from the job description. Mirror the priorities.

Make it evident that you’re prepared to step into that role from day one, not as the finished article, but as a practitioner who is willing to learn and develop.

Know the School

If you take one thing away from this blog, let it be this: never send a generic application. It’s obvious. A generic application reads like you’re just looking for a promotion, and that could be any promotion or role. You need to show that you’ve chosen this school for a reason. If you can, book a school visit. There is no substitute for seeing a school in action. You’ll learn more by visiting the school and speaking to staff than you will from googling the school's website. It also indicates if it’s a place you want to work. During the visit, ask thoughtful questions. Observe the routines, the culture and the relationships. Are there any phrases you can hear being used? How is the role you're applying for being implemented? Then, crucially, use that insight in your application. By visiting the school, you are also seeing if you’re the right fit for the school and the role as well. I know it's not always easy to find the time to visit a school, but ask if there is an option after school if during the day isn’t possible. Another opportunity could be visiting the school after school or during the half-term break. I have done both of these things when visiting schools, as the school day is not always available.

If you can’t visit, do the next best thing: study the school website, read the Ofsted report (but go beyond it), check recent news, and look at social media. Get a feel for the values and priorities, and then show how your experience would support them. If a school visit is not possible, consider booking a phone call with a member of the senior leadership team or the faculty advertising the role.

Application

This is where strong candidates can fall short, not because they lack the experience, but because they don’t translate it clearly and directly into the context of the role and school. Writing about yourself can feel uncomfortable, but if you want to stand out, you have to own your impact and the areas you have contributed to. This could involve roles such as a teacher, writing about outcomes connected with a class or relationships with parents, which have a direct influence on a student or group of students. For Senior Leadership Roles, you would still need to demonstrate impact across a school.

For example, imagine a pastoral senior vacancy has appeared and you would like to apply for that role. Below is an example from the viewpoint of someone who is currently in a pastoral role, demonstrating impact:

‘At XXXX Academy, I oversaw, developed and led the academic progress and pastoral care of Key Stage 3. I promoted the Academy’s culture of high expectations, which was raised through the maintenance of excellent relationships between families and students, while also completing my NPQSL in this role. In addition to launching a whole-school rewards system that worked in conjunction with an exemplary behaviour system. I worked with SLT, the pastoral system, Key Stage 3 teachers and HOD teams to ensure academic progress was being made. Thus, sculpting a key stage that promoted high aspirations, attendance, and achievement. I led a team of 18 tutors across Key Stage 3 to ensure the rigorous delivery of form time. During this role, I held weekly briefings where I delivered the agenda across the week as well as short, medium and long-term outcomes to be achieved by the end of half term or across a term. This created a team of individuals dedicated to enriching the character, resilience, ambition, and integrity of the students...’

That’s clear. It’s specific. It shows leadership, not just participation. And it’s precisely the kind of evidence senior panels want to see. You can also cater the keywords to the school’s values. It also focuses on the candidates’ leadership using ‘I’. Please note this example is after the beginning component of the application. The key part of the example is that the writing is succinct and clearly shows the candidates’ experience: who has developed a strong pastoral system, led tutors across KS3, and completed their NPQSL. The paragraph could then be linked to the role being applied for, something specific to the school that the candidate saw during their visit. This is where your research, and ideally your school visit, comes in. If you’ve walked the corridors, observed routines, or spoken to staff, use that detail. Below is another example:

‘During my visit, I was impressed by the emphasis on visible leadership in corridors between lessons. In my previous role at XXXX Academy, I implemented a similar approach, which increased positive interactions and reduced corridor incidents. I would use this experience further to strengthen the school’s culture of presence and consistency.’ If you can’t visit (as mentioned previously), your research of the school is just as valuable; look at the school improvement priorities, curriculum overviews, or behaviour policies online. Then frame your application so your expertise feels like a direct answer to their needs.

Final thoughts

I’m often asked: ‘What do I include? How do I start? Am I good enough?’

If you care deeply about education, are willing to learn, and are ready to lead, then yes, you’re ready. But don’t leave it to chance. Do the work. Know the role. Know the school. Write with purpose and clarity. It's about potential, not perfection. And please, don’t let imposter syndrome talk you out of it. That voice in your head that says, ‘You’re not ready’ or ‘Someone else will be better’. Ignore it. You don’t need to tick every single box. You don’t need to have the perfect CV. What you need to do is understand the role, familiarise yourself with the school, and demonstrate how you can make a difference.

Leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about potential, purpose, and the willingness to step up.

Further reading

Smashing Glass Ceilings by Kate Jones

Disruptive Women: A WomenEd Guide to Equitable Action in Education by Vivienne Portrait, Natasha Hilton and Lisa Hannay

Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A Pragmatic Approach to Teacher Workload by Kat Howard

https://saysmiss.wordpress.com/2020/05/04/write-the-job-application-part-one/

https://saysmiss.wordpress.com/2020/05/11/attend-the-job-interview/