10 blogs every new (and current!) Head of PE needs this summer

Dear Head of Department,

Whether you're brand new to your head of department role, hoping to make that step up, or you've been running your department for years and could just do with a reminder of why you got into leadership in the first place, this collection of blogs is for you! Here we go…

1. Dear Graham, you changed my PE teaching career
What kind of leader are you, or do you want to be? This post is James's tribute to the Head of PE who shaped his own career, and it's a powerful reminder that the way you support your team will be remembered long after any results are forgotten. An honest starting point before the practical advice kicks in below.

2. If I were you…
This is the closest thing we have to a straight-talking briefing for course managers. This was originally published in October 2023, but is still hugely relevant! It covers protecting your qualification, teaching for skills rather than content (more on that in #7), and, crucially, how to manage upwards. If you only read one "how-do-I-actually-do-this-job" post, make it this one.

3. Goal setting for Heads of PE: Starting with the end in mind
New role, blank page. This post gives you a practical framework for setting department goals in year one, built on goal-setting principles that encourage you to work out the steps backwards from your end point. A useful one to revisit as you set your own targets, however many years into the job you are.

4. Five good and five bad things an educational leader might say
Quick, quotable, and slightly uncomfortable in the best way. This post runs through the language leaders use (some of it brilliant, some of it damaging), and it's a great one for a check-in before your first department meeting or SLT briefing. Worth reading twice: once for yourself, once thinking about the leaders who've influenced you.

5. What Jim told James (Conversations between an experienced Head of PE and an ECT)
Managing a team means supporting colleagues at every stage of their career, including those just starting out. This post captures a mentoring conversation between an experienced Head of PE and an ECT, covering subject knowledge, differentiation and classroom standards. A great one to share directly with early-career staff in your own department (more on that soon!).

6. Reframing educational assumptions in PE and Sport - with clarity!
Every leader (new or established) carries assumptions about ability, target grades, and what students "can't" do. This post challenges those assumptions head-on, and it's worth reading whether you're setting your department's philosophy for the first time or checking it hasn't quietly drifted. A good one to return to every now and again!

7. Skills, skills, skills
Curriculum leadership starts with knowing exactly what your students can and can't do yet. This post makes the case for skill-focused teaching backed by data, and it doubles as a ready-made audit task: a genuinely practical way to take stock of where your department stands, whether you’re brand new to the role or an established Head of PE.

8. Assessment models in examination PE courses (Part 1 and Part 2)
If you're reviewing how your department assesses students across the year, look no further! This two-part post sets out six different assessment models for examination PE courses, giving you a framework to redesign or simply validate your current approach. A substantial read, but well worth it if you want to compare different assessment models.

9. Build, Peak, Maintain
Every department needs a shared model that staff can apply consistently, not just an idea that fades after the first few weeks. This post introduces a simple three-stage approach to curriculum delivery that you can roll out across your whole team, whether you're building it from scratch or refreshing what's already there. It's the kind of framework that turns "what I believe" into "what we all do."

10. Blending theory and practice: Transforming core PE with The EverLearner
Our final post comes from Jake Dyer, previously Head of Department at South Nottinghamshire Academy, writing about how he's used The EverLearner to bring theory and practice together in core PE. It's proof that the ideas above aren't just theory themselves; they're being applied by leaders in exactly your position. Read about how this was implemented and the results for Jake’s school and his PE department. How does this apply to you in your leadership (or aspiring leadership) role?

Conclusion and next steps

So there we have it! 10 blog posts that will hopefully help you settle into the new role or just settle into the new academic year. If you missed the previous two blog posts on teaching courses for the first time, you can find them here: 10 blogs every GCSE PE teacher needs this summer and 10 blogs every A-level PE teacher needs this summer. If you like what you read and want more support behind you and your department, take a look at our PE Teacher Academy, built specifically to support PE and Sport staff responsible for classroom teaching. Get in touch now to start your free trial of Teacher Academy.