Why School Leaders Need Protected Thinking Time and How Reflective Supervision Supports It

In education, reflection is something we talk about as if it just happens naturally. We expect leaders and staff to be reflective, emotionally intelligent, resilient and thoughtful in their decision-making. Reflection appears in professional standards, leadership frameworks, safeguarding guidance and CPD conversations, and it is often described as a marker of effective leadership.

And yet, when you look closely at how work is organised day to day, very little space is actually protected for meaningful reflection to take place. Instead, reflection is squeezed into the margins of already busy working lives. It becomes something done on the drive home, in the shower, or in the few minutes between back-to-back meetings. People often tell themselves that they will return to their thoughts once things settle down, but in reality they rarely do.

Some useful thinking does happen in these in-between moments. Many leaders can recall times when they have had good ideas or identified next steps while driving or walking or carrying out another task. However, because of the pace, pressure and complexity involved in working in schools, these informal moments are no longer enough. We need more. Reflection now needs to shift from something incidental to something more deliberate, strategic and structured. Leaders need protected time to think deeply, process the emotional and cognitive demands of their work, and step back from the immediate pressures of the role. Without this, clarity becomes harder to sustain and decision-making becomes increasingly reactive.

The assumption beneath the surface

Beneath the surface sits an assumption that reflective thinking is something individuals will simply make happen for themselves. There is an expectation that leaders will find the space somehow and that reflection can be fitted around everything else that needs doing. But reflection is influenced by time, psychological safety, legitimacy and the cultural signals an organisation sends about what it values.

When the wider education system prioritises pace, endurance, availability and constant responsiveness, reflection often becomes something people carry privately, usually outside working hours. These system-level pressures shape how leaders think, cope and make decisions over time. They also increase the risk of stress, fatigue and burnout, and it is not uncommon for this to spill over into home lives and relationships.

Where reflective supervision fits

Reflective supervision offers a different way of working. It makes reflection intentional rather than incidental. It provides protected space for leaders and safeguarding staff to step back from the noise of day-to-day work and think clearly before acting. It offers a setting where complex situations can be explored from different perspectives, emotional and cognitive load can be processed, early patterns and pressures can be recognised and decisions can be made with greater clarity and confidence.

It can be a place to offload safely, to talk things through out loud, to recognise what has gone well, and to learn from challenges. It also allows space to make sense of experiences that might otherwise not be spoken about and to notice early signs of exhaustion before they become normalised and increasing the risk of burnout.

Why structure matters

The assumption that reflection “just happens” is rarely realistic in school settings. When the pace increases and demands intensify, reflection is often the first thing to be squeezed out. The work continues, decisions must still be made, and leaders cope by narrowing their focus and carrying on. Most often reflection does not happen automatically, even for highly experienced leaders.

Reflective supervision introduces a different rhythm into school leadership. Rather than relying on reactive or crisis-led reflection that takes place only after difficulties arise, supervision creates regular and intentional space to think. Instead of being squeezed into the gaps between urgent tasks, it provides protected time to pause, step back from the immediate pressures of the role and engage with the complexity of leadership in a more thoughtful way.

Whether offered one-to-one or in groups, this structured space supports clearer decision-making, reduces emotional and cognitive overload and helps leaders recognise early pressure points before they escalate. It allows them to adjust boundaries, process difficult experiences and notice not only what is challenging but also what is working well. In this way, reflective supervision strengthens sustainable leadership by helping leaders think more deliberately, work more intentionally and maintain perspective over time, rather than relying on short-term problem-solving or post-crisis reflection.

When reflection only happens later

Often reflection happens after something has gone wrong, after someone is struggling or after pressure has already taken a toll. When reflective space only becomes available later, leaders lose the opportunity to notice early signs of strain or emerging patterns that could have been addressed sooner.

When reflective space exists earlier and more routinely, it supports perspective before things escalate. Supervision supports a preventative approach. It allows leaders to identify patterns, pressures and boundaries while there is still room to adjust. Reflective spaces strengthen sustainability by supporting clearer thinking, healthier decision-making and more intentional leadership practice. They also provide space to talk about what has gone well and to recognise the successes that often get overlooked amidst the intensity of school life.

What this signals about culture

When reflective supervision is in place, it sends a clear message about what the organisation values. It shows that time to think is viewed as part of the job, not an optional extra. It also shows that the emotional side of leadership is recognised, rather than something leaders are expected to manage quietly on their own. It highlights that sustainability is supported and not left to individuals to work out for themselves.

It also signals that steady, thoughtful decision-making matters more than speed or working in isolation. It reinforces that leaders are not expected to carry complex situations alone and that seeking different perspectives is part of good practice.

A culture that makes space for reflective supervision is one that encourages open conversation, shared thinking and a more balanced approach to leadership. It supports staff to notice what is going on around them, to learn from experience and to work in ways that feel manageable over time. In this way, reflective supervision strengthens the wider culture as well as the people working within it.

A question worth sitting with

Reflective supervision creates space for leaders to pause, notice patterns and think more deliberately about how they are working over time. In roles as complex and demanding as school leadership, this space matters. Without it, leaders often continue at pace without realising how much pressure has built up or how their decision-making is being shaped by tiredness, pace or emotional strain.

There is also something important to consider about the absence of this space. When reflection only happens during moments of crisis or exhaustion, issues can escalate more quickly. Small concerns grow, boundaries slip and decisions are made with less clarity. Stress can build quietly in ways that affect confidence, health and relationships, and teams often feel this too.

Reflective supervision helps leaders make sense of pressure sooner, giving them a better chance to adjust before strain becomes embedded. It supports clearer thinking, steadier decision-making and a more sustainable way of working over time.

Perhaps the question to sit with is this: what might be the cost of not making this space?

Karen Forshaw is an organisational psychologist specialising in leadership and organisational culture in education. As an experienced headteacher, she supports senior leaders, DSLs and trusts to develop psychologically informed practices that make work more sustainable.

If you’re thinking about how to create more sustainable ways of leading and working in your school or trust, you can contact me at karen@humanedgeperformance.com.