Remarkable Women gave me the confidence to lead beyond my school

Lisa is the headteacher of a small infant school in Essex. After completing the National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH) with Teach First, Lisa was nominated for the Remarkable Women in Leadership programme by her coach. Here, she shares how the programme helped her build confidence, strengthen her leadership identity and take the next step in her career.

I first heard about the programme from my coach, Nick. I had just completed my NPQH through Teach First, and as part of that, I'd been given the opportunity to work with a one-to-one coach for around 18 months. Nick nominated me for Remarkable Women in Leadership.

I was really intrigued because I'm someone who's always looking for the next step. I work at a very small school, so I was exploring what it might look like to have a broader impact across my trust — whether that meant moving to a bigger school or taking on more responsibility.

I was keen to focus on my leadership skills, to find out who I am as a leader and what impact I can make.

What drew me even more was the idea of networking with other women in leadership roles in schools.

Leading a small but mighty school

I lead a very small village infant school — 23 children at the moment, growing to just over 30 in September. Small but mighty, as we say. Because of our size, we get to know our families, children and community really quickly and really well.

There's a high proportion of children with additional needs. I'm the headteacher and also the SENCO, so we've worked hard to shape the school into a communication-friendly environment — visuals throughout, deeply rooted in the community, and committed to giving every child the same offer they'd get at a much larger school.

We go on school trips, have Christmas fairs and summer fetes — though we do it as a whole school rather than by class. We're also situated next to Hainault Forest, so we have Forest Fridays where we take the children straight out into the woods.

The biggest challenge is funding. Since the per-pupil funding formula changed in 2018, smaller schools have been squeezed harder, so we're constantly having to be creative with very limited resources. We're also infant-only with no attached junior school, so children leave us at the end of Year 2 — not ideal, but we're working hard to build open communication with local schools to make those transitions as smooth as possible.

Building a network that lasts

The face-to-face sessions of the Remarkable Women programme were where the real connections formed. In our first session I was in a small group of three, and we made a close bond straight away — those are two leaders I'm still in regular contact with.

We've also held mini boards, which met around three times, and those were a chance to check in on each other's journeys, share what was happening in our own settings, and hold each other accountable.

We were all looking to strengthen our leadership, not necessarily move upwards, but to grow in how we lead within our own contexts. Knowing we were in the same boat made it easier to be honest and open.

I expect those connections to last well beyond the programme.

Impact beyond one school

From day one of the programme, I had the time and space to focus on myself as a leader. It helped me look at my own authenticity, to think about what women bring to leadership specifically, and to really examine my values.

One thing that stood out early on was the conversation around saying no.

Saying no to things that aren't right for you actually opens the door to better opportunities.

That resonated with me deeply. A lot of women find it hard to say no, and the programme helped me see that doing everything isn't always the same as doing the right things. The speakers were also hugely impactful — hearing other women's leadership journeys really inspired me.

What the programme gave me most was clarity and confidence in who I am as a leader. It reinforced that my core values are right, and that as long as everything I do is for the children, I'll make the right calls.

Another benefit the programme offered was one-to-one coaching. At the time I was exploring my wider leadership options, and having someone help me think that through from a completely different perspective was incredibly valuable.

One of the things I wanted to do was explore my wider leadership role. From next year, I'm going to remain as head here, but I'm also going to join the school improvement team in my trust — giving me the opportunity to have a wider impact across the 16 schools in our trust.

It gave me the confidence to put myself forward and explain how my leadership skills could be transferred and translated across the trust.

That is a direct impact of the Remarkable Women programme. The next academic year is a new challenge, which I'm really excited for.

Advice to future participants

My advice to those considering joining the programme would be just do it. There's really nothing to lose and so much to gain — confidence, connections, skills. And honestly, the fact that you're looking into it and asking the question probably means you should.

That self-doubt? That's exactly what the programme helps you with. After Remarkable Women, you have the confidence in your own ability to know that you can — and you really can.

The connections you make will serve you well throughout your leadership journey.

Ready to grow as a leader?

If Lisa's story has inspired you, find out more about the Remarkable Women programme and how it supports women to develop their leadership skills and make a real impact.

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