Product reviews for Making The Leap

'I have been a keen follower of Jill's work for the last couple of years now, having discovered her through the medium of Twitter. It just shows how powerful one person on social media can be in influencing practice on a much wider scale than just a school or authority! Over the last two years, Jill's work both -˜hands on' and through social media has had a huge impact on the perspective and approach of thousands of teachers at all stages of their career, especially those at a senior level.

Until about five years ago, I was led to believe that there was only one way to do things in education - the way a head teacher instructed it to be. Most classroom teachers and middle leaders will still experience this view of policy and practice. That is why Jill's work is so vital in developing an education system which gives teachers the space to flourish. This ultimately gives children the best prospects in life, developing them both academically and socially. Jill is a light-bringer: she seeks out best practice and great leadership. She shares widely, she passes it on and empowers others to do the right thing, and not just what they think is expected of them with every new government initiative. Jill is a great influencer - she quietly reassures and motivates, her work develops leaders who are principled and passionate, ones who care about their staff and their students, not just league tables. This is vital because most teachers only ever get the perspective of their head teacher, so getting it right with senior leaders ensures that schools will be person-centred caring environments whilst expecting excellence from everyone, they enable their community to exceed expectations.

The book Making the Leap takes Jill's work one step further. Through the written word Jill is positively influencing the next generation of head teachers (as well as existing ones). She has thoughtfully carved a path through the echelons of senior leadership using a perfect balance of personal experience and findings from her doctoral thesis as well as the best current academic research. Jill cleverly navigates any potential situations in an informative and authentic manner which fills you with confidence and a sense of doing the right thing for the right reasons. Her engaging stories, concrete experiences and rhetorical questions convince you that you are taking a step closer to the best job in the world and that you're not alone in this exciting journey. Recurring themes provide a quietly reaffirming -˜you can do it' mantra which helps to prevent any self-doubt from creeping in, skilfully motivating and inspiring you to take the plunge. 



Jill's words have been a joy to read, giving me the confidence to not only consider what my next step will be but also how it will look when the time comes. Most importantly, through Making the Leap, Jill allows senior leaders to dip their toe into the water, giving them an insight into what the role of the head teacher is really like - this is unprecedented and allows a realistic view of the pros and cons of such a weighty decision. Jill's book encourages the right people to step up for the right reasons, which is very much needed in the current climate. She has certainly made me, and thousands of other senior leaders like me, look at what we do and how we do it. I'd consider this book not as a CPD tool as such (although it is brilliant if you want to use it as such) but more of a moral satnav, to keep educators true to their purpose and to always keep in mind a person-centred approach, and for that she needs recognition on a much wider scale.