Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜

Headteacher of a wonderful rural church school in Kent. SIAMS inspector. Wife of a very lovely man. Cricket enthusiast. Cat owner. Amateur baker.

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@kateowbridge I had plantar fasciitis and Westerhill Physiotherapy in Maidstone cured it with shockwave therapy- they were amazing!

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

Small hygiene habits that impact long-term health

[HeadteacherChat @Headteacherchat]

What 2025 Told Us About Headship – And Why You’re Not Alone https://t.co/NW70anzpqf

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@SarahjevsEvans That’s beautiful ❤️

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

The 25 best sports photos of 2025 - and the stories behind them https://t.co/VlSipNATzz

[Mr Teece @MrTeece_]

Nailed it and especially agree about SAT / MAT difference. Great article. https://t.co/1x6YMzpu5S

[Cass & Anna - The Educakers @theeducakers]

Is it just me, or does running a school right now feel less like leadership and more like surviving in the Upside Down?

Headship is a joy and privilege. It's hard. It’s all-consuming in the best and worst ways. It's a job like no other. But lately it feels like I’m leading a school by day and dodging demogorgons by night - constantly sprinting between two worlds.

The Upside Down: a dark, uneasy terrain full of trepidation. Here’s what’s lurking there:
The new Ofsted toolkit (my personal Vecna), curriculum review, SEND reform, updated IDSR, funding cuts, attendance demands, rising parental expectations, increasing family needs, staff wellbeing...
And of course, the thing that I am trying to keep my No.1 focus: outcomes for children + high-quality teaching & learning.

It’s a constant wall of noise pulling me away from my core purpose: improving choice, opportunity, and life chances for the children in my school. I’m under pressure. I’m frustrated. And honestly? I’m pretty pissed off. What new monster is going to crawl out next?

As a glass-half-full optimist, this feels like unfamiliar territory. No school leader would ever dream of implementing this many things at once because it would fail. Yet this is exactly where we are.

And while I understand the wider responsibilities of this wonderful job, I genuinely can’t remember the last heads’ briefing or training session that focused on teaching and learning.

I’m not a politician and I’m not interested in playing games between powerhouses. I just want to run my school - preferably without needing a hazmat suit and a flamethrower.
@Strickomaster @OhLottie @Southgloshead @dave_mcpartlin @KyrstieStubbs @vicgoddard

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@the_VHT A group of us from local schools work out a Y6 transition day ourselves. We all take our Y6 class and meet at the local 2 form entry school. We run activities ourselves such as team building and archery, mix the children up. Everyone brings packed lunches and it runs 10am-2pm. 👍

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@kitandrew1 Ha! We must both have been in the chaos at Gare de Nord at the same time, I was on the train after yours!

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@kitandrew1 Headed back on the Eurostar this evening. Train was delayed so not home yet. 😖 Safe travels

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@the_VHT We made it so classes do either art or DT in a term, not both. Fewer units of work mean that it is is better taught. Quality not quantity. 6 terms a year - 4 for art and 2 for DT. 👍

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@MrsHeadteacher Agreed! I love feeling on top of everything … for about whole half a day before the craziness kicks in! 😂

[Secret Headteacher @secretHT1]

Covid as a HT was just so wild. More than it seemed.

Between 2020 and 2022, 13 unique guidance docs were sent to school settings.

These were updated 320 times in two years, averaging 3 updates a week. Each update meant checking, rewriting and resending to staff/parents. Mad.

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@kateowbridge Sorry to hear this Kate.
Love the page on your website “what to do this month” - brilliant idea, even for us experienced heads! 💡 👏👏

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@earth_frame

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@smithsmm Love this - thank you 🙏

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@MirandaKeeling This was poignant, thoughtful and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny! Love it ❤️

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

@redgierob I have an ECT starting with us in Reception in September and I have no doubt she is going to be incredible- she’s not on X but pls can I nominate her. 🙏

[Sarah Alexander 🙋🏻‍♀️ 💚💜 @Sarah_Alexand]

This came in the post this morning and what a joy it is. Poignant, thoughtful and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny! Love it ❤️@MirandaKeeling