Name: Julia Knight

Title: School Improvement Advisor

Organisation: Hawar International School, Bahrain | Consultant

Founding Principal in two leading international schools in the Middle East. Adept at change and change management in fast-paced environments with significant regional understanding and cultural sensitivity. Balanced and measured under pressure whilst being results-driven. Agile and responsive leadership that inspires and empowers outstanding teaching and learning.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Educational Leadership!

I hope Julia's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as an Educational Leader?

Moving from the classroom / middle leadership to senior and executive leadership. The skill set is vastly different and whilst you draw on your emotional intelligence and empathy (skills deeply embedded in teachers and middle leaders), it doesn't prepare you for the business development and the complexities of leading large organisations.

2. How did you become an Educational Leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I climbed the ladder in steady steps, from Head of Year in London to Head of English and Deputy Head in Thailand. I then had my second child and decided to sidestep back to middle leadership. After four brilliant years in post, I felt the desire to go back into leadership and secured a founding head post. I have never looked back and when I do, I am immensely proud of the journey with all its bumps, curves, and chicanes.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I wake at 5:30 am and set my intentions for the day- my work diary holds space for gratitude and intention setting. This helps me to focus on what's important and reminds me of my values. At work, I have an open-door policy, and staff will come in throughout the day to share their stories. For me, the staff and children are the VIPs in my day and I will stop what I am doing to accommodate. This brings me a lot of joy - I have a group of girls who pop in most days to say hello and provide a much-needed laugh.

I do like to visit classrooms and see what's going on and I offer staff training once a month based on requests and my observations. Every day is different in schools- you never know what will happen. They are dynamic ecosystems that require nurture and care. I love meeting parents and truly believe we must serve the community as best we can.

4. What's a recent lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of as an Educational Leader?

That we are not that important. If we are doing our jobs well, our teams will be the most important people in the school. It is our job to ensure the right people are in front of our children and trust them to do their jobs. I believe in empowering teams and if they bring me a problem, I always ask them for the solution too, and together, we find the best fit. Equally, if they bring great ideas, then it's my job to say yes and to provide guidance. Compassion, empathy, and honesty are always appreciated even if the answer is not the one they wanted to hear.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your journey as an Educational Leader so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted you?

That you have to take a leap of faith especially when it feels against the odds. Leaving my school during COVID was, at the time, the stupidest thing I could have done, I held firm to the belief that all would be good and I found my perfect dream job. This leap of faith made me realise that we have the power to decide and the right pathway will always open up. I have never looked back.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young educator who aspires to be an Educational Leader, what would you say to them?

Find a mentor, someone you can shadow and pester with questions. Don't lead with ego, lead with the notion you are servient to your community. When you place your ego to the side and look at serving your community, you can truly inspire and be inspirational. Leadership is a privilege and in the words of Take That: 'One day this will all be someone else's dream' so leave a ladder down and leave behind a positive legacy

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as an Educational Leader, so far?

All of the students' stories and lives matter. That the one thing you said or did could be the catalyst for change. I love meeting ex-students long after they have left school and hearing their success stories. I remember taking a group of Year 11 students from my school in London to see a spoken word poetry event and it changed the way my class saw my subject, they went on to get amazing grades and just recently, one messaged me (he is now in his 30s) and said he now performs at open mic nights, all because of that one school trip.

As educators, we are so lucky because these stories are not unique to us, by the nature of our 'job' we add, shape, and create meaning. The students in front of us are the change makers and opinion shapers for the world, and we owe it to them to enable their voices to be heard.