Which of your school policies has actually improved student outcomes or staff wellbeing this academic year?
It’s important for school leaders to consider policy reflection as a strategy for the year ahead. Here is a single, transformative question to consider: Are we better off?
In the summer as schools approach the end of term, senior leaders begin evaluating what to refine ahead of September. From curriculum models to mobile phone policies, appraisal frameworks to safeguarding procedures, every school in England juggles statutory and strategic documents.
Are you better off?
Many are reviewed, rewritten, and republished without truly asking if they are working.
Here is one bold, grounding question: “Are we better off?”
This question is simple but profound.
When applied across all school and college policies, it challenges school leaders to examine the real impact on staff, students, and learning outcomes.
Whether looking at fine-grading, SEND provision, feedback cycles or digital tools like AI, every policy must pass one litmus test: Does this make the experience of teaching and learning any better for all those involved?
School and college leaders often drown in documentation. Statutory requirements are numerous, from safeguarding to health and safety, while internal policies such as CPD, assessment, and behaviour are shaped by shifting national priorities. In this pressure cooker, the purpose behind policies can get lost.
How to apply this simply framework.
Take every core policy—both statutory and strategic—and pose this one, clear, question to test its real-world value. For example:
- Curriculum – “Are we better off with 50-minute lessons? What impact has it had on corridor transition? Behaviour?
- Mobile phones – “Are we better off since introducing a zero-tolerance approach?”
- Teaching and learning – “Are we ready for feedback, feed up and feed forward in our assessment practices?”
Leaders should use these questions to structure annual reviews, planning meetings, and governor updates. With shifting sands, pupil and teacher mobility, emerging technologies and global pressures, every school must regularly revisit its policies.
A simple calendar can track one policy per month, embedding reflection into practice – and keeping staff in the loop. For example, safeguarding in October, appraisal in January, SEND in March.
For each policy, collect lived evidence: student voice, staff surveys, workload logs, parental feedback, and outcomes data. Focus not just on what’s written, but how the policy is experienced. When teachers and students see that policies improve their experience—not just satisfy accountability—trust builds.
Top policy questions for all schools
| Policy Area | Ross’s Reflective Question |
|---|---|
| Admissions Arrangements | Is our community better off since reviewing our admissions policy? |
| Behaviour and Discipline | Are students better off with the current behaviour system? |
| Teaching and Learning | Have the changes to the marking policy improved staff wellbeing? |
| Careers Guidance | Are we helping students make informed choices? |
| Charging & Remissions | Is this policy supporting equity—or inadvertently excluding some pupils from experiences? |
| Data Protection | Do staff and students understand how AI data is used—and do they trust the process? |
| Equality Objectives | Are our equality commitments improving recruitment? |
| Governors’ Allowances | Are we enabling a diverse and representative board to fulfil its role? |
| Health & Safety | Are we prioritising people over paperwork when managing site risks? |
| Premises Management | Does our learning environment reflect our values? |
| RSHE Policy | Are our RSHE lessons relevant and empowering? |
| Safeguarding and Child Protection | Does our safeguarding culture match what students/staff experience? |
| School Attendance | Are we improving attendance by understanding the barriers? |
| Complaints Procedure | Do we treat complaints as improvement feedback—or threats to reputation? |
| School Exclusions | Are we intervening early enough? |
Finally…
How would teachers describe the purpose of your CPD programme this year? Has the content felt like a McDonald’s drive-through, or is it a rich garden full of lots of different ingredients, nurtured and revisited on a weekly basis?
