If you got the jobs that you needed to get done finished an hour before you were due to complete them... would you just find something else to add to your list?

How often have you said, “I don’t have time”? You were lying to yourself! As you are reading this, time is ticking away and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Time exists; how we use the time we have will either lead to exhaustion or a work life balance. As a serial procrastinator and queen of never stopping, I have had to learn many tricks to avoid that impending sick note that would be on the horizon if I didn’t sort it out. If you are always rushing to meet deadlines at the last minute or exhausted but nowhere near the end of your to do list, perhaps it will be worth five minutes of your time right now to read some of the pointers that I learned to help me put time back into perspective.

I’ve always been aware of how emotional intelligence plays a fundamental part in leadership roles. How you talk to someone, the way in which you treat someone, paints a picture about your personality.

There are many benefits of changing the way a school manages student records, from traditional paper-based systems to electronic document management – saving space, increasing productivity, ease of audit preparation. But with the new general data protection regulation (GDPR) on the horizon, now more than ever is the time to act and review how you manage student and other files.

At this year’s Education Show (NEC Birmingham, 16th-18th March), attendees will see the launch of Bett Academies (16th-17th March), an event designed to meet the needs of the increasing number of schools with, or that are converting to, academy status. Innovate My School (Stand D8) is partnering with the Bett Academies team here, with the event set to be the national centre of excellence dedicated to providing the very best advice, guidance and inspiration to academies, MATs and schools exploring academisation.

The introduction of the Pupil Premium back in 2010 underlined the importance of narrowing the attainment gap and ensuring that all students are supported in achieving their potential. EduKit, who already offer a free trip-advisor-style directory that allows schools to find free and low-cost support and interventions for their students, have now responded these concerns by launching EduKit Insight - an innovative, easy-to-use tracker that allows schools to evidence the impact of the support they are using, understand which students are missing out and identify both priority areas for the school and corresponding support.

I’m very fortunate to have been appointed head of school for the new Q3 Langley Academy, which opened its doors this September to 153 Year 7 students. It is a unique partnership with the local authority and a Multi-Academy Trust that has led to somewhat of a blank canvas in relation to curriculum. In an education world that has seen a sharp decline in non-EBacc subjects, we are still committed to offering a broad and balanced education for all our students.

Today’s classrooms are full of students who want to feel special. They want to have personalised interaction with teachers, they want instant access to information, and they want it in a way that is meaningful to them. It’s a millennial thing, a Generation Y thing; and to fully engage these millennials, it’s something schools need to be very mindful of.

Schools in half a dozen countries around the world are now using ParentPaperwork, an online forms platform designed for both staff and parents. Most schools still rely on a paper-based forms to capture parent permissions for activities like excursions and sports activities. With this internet-based alternative, schools have an easy-to-use replacement for all paper forms.

Behaviour management is something that applies to the playground just as much as it does the classroom. By implementing the correct behaviour management techniques, playtimes and lunch breaks can run smoothly, leading to positive learning outcomes.

Hope School, located in Belle Vale, Liverpool, has been working with Welsh company eeZeeTrip to enable bigger, better and more organised school trips than ever before. This was in order to combat the issues experienced when staff wanted to take pupils beyond the school walls, and instead use the situation to their complete advantage. The Outstanding-rated Hope School provides for boys with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties, so ensuring a secure school trip system was of paramount importance.