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Thriving within High Stakes Accountability Culture
- Julia Hancock
- Sep 30
- 5 min read
Let me invite you to consider a jam sandwich.
It appears to be simple, certainly not sophisticated, but creating a great jam sandwich that will survive the knocks of a lunchbox and still make it to lunchtime as one edible entity is no small task. A thriving and inviting sandwich.
I often use an analogy of the jam sandwich when I’m working with school leaders. Somehow that squeeze effect connects viscerally with us when we’re feeling the pressure - our jam drips out, or we compress the bread layers. In order for us to thrive, not just survive, but flourish, grow, and succeed in our purpose. We need to ensure our flavour, the sweet filling that makes the sandwich worthwhile, is protected. It must not seep out, nor turn into a soggy mess. This means balance between the slices of bread, and perhaps a layer of butter or an alternative spread to hold things together so that things don’t get messy. As a school leader we can often feel squeezed by the pressures of accountability, and we lose sight of ourselves within the layers.
Working as a Headteacher, when any initiative or framework was brought in, it was crucial for me to consider where this negotiated with the needs of my school, my children, staff and families, and the strategy and development actions we were already prioritising. Ultimately, if I wanted to lead with my values, with love, I needed to ask, “What matters and Why?” Often this is tricky when managing a multiplicity of messages. Managing fear of accountability, what others think can be a burden.
The top slice of bread may weigh everything down, rather like the high-stakes accountability of school leadership. If we don’t sustain the resilience and robust presence of our filling, and if the bottom layer is weak, we lose balance in the sandwich.
This extended metaphor provokes thought about accountability and its impact on leadership. Certainly, school leaders understand accountability, they constantly hold themselves to account for the success and well-being of children and staff.
When a leader has clear awareness of themselves, others, and the environment, they can set a clear direction and vision for their organisation. Yet this must always be negotiated with the overarching accountability systems: the top slice of bread.
There is Ofsted, and the frameworks that sit in judgement while often driving school self-evaluation. There is the individual headteacher’s name on the report and the impact this has on fear of perceived failures, rather like that of football team managers. In addition to this, there are managing authorities (education departments, councils, dioceses, or managing companies and academy trusts) all with their systems and structures. There are wider organisational systems in force too: HR, health and safety, financial regulators, and more. We may also face a range of expectations from governance and wider community.
The top layer can be a heavy burden or, with Resilient Leadership, it can form part of the structure that holds the sandwich in place. This is where the Resilient Leaders Elements make the difference. As leaders we need to understand this wider environment and combine this with our understanding of our organisation to sustain clarity and purpose.
The elements provide the consistency of our jam, offering the right combination of substance, flexibility, and flavour to create a balanced structure that nourishes the whole.
Awareness begins with our appreciation of our own motivations, strengths, and weaknesses, enabling us to adapt to the forces that shape our culture and environment. Self-awareness and awareness of others is crucial so that culture is not driven by fear, but led by love-love of learning, and love for creating a culture where children and adults alike can thrive.
In the appreciation of our own and others’ motivations, strengths and weaknesses we can adapt to the forces that impact on our environment and culture.
This awareness fuels the element of Leadership Presence. When leaders are aligned to their values and ethics, they can sustain their commitment to those they serve, answering to accountability while making authentic and intentional decisions. This presence spreads throughout the organisation. Even when the leader is not in the room, the whole community leads with presence, integrity, and purpose. The jam retains its flavour and substance, holding the sandwich together.
Everyone is clear about what matters and why and can lead with integrity, making authentic decisions focused on those they serve.
With this strong sense of identity and alignment, leaders can build Clarity of Direction. When we know who we are and how we want to show up, we can set a vision and strategy that is tightly focused, unified, and resilient to competing external pressures. We respond with intention, and commit to those we serve, rather than allow external forces to distract or motivate us with fear. The element, Clarity of Direction can guide us through the miasma of accountability, safe in the knowledge we are unified in what we do.
When everyone understands the “why” and the “what” of our work , we can face high-stakes cultures with confidence. Taking time to make sure everyone is aligned to the vision is crucial- the flavour and substance our jam will drive determination even when things are tough. We know who we are and how we want to show up, the shape and flavour of us increases the likelihood of succeeding beyond any external targets or expectations. Our own goals fuel a robust strategy.
This is underpinned by Resilient Decision-Making. Leaders can interact with challenges, both internal and external, making robust and evaluative plans while considering options and responding with versatility. This demands creativity: finding new approaches, imagining fresh possibilities, and bringing them to life without squashing the sandwich. We empower ourselves and our layers. In doing so, leaders sustain themselves, their teams, and their organisations. Our sandwich (school or organisation) is robust at all levels.
A jam sandwich may look simple. But to last the morning, it needs balance, resilience, and care. So it is with leadership in high-stakes environments. The Resilient Leaders Elements -Awareness, Leadership Presence, Clarity of Direction, and Resilient Decision-Making - are the butter, the bread, and the strength of the jam. They transform accountability from a crushing weight into a structure that supports and sustains.
With them, school leaders don’t just hold the sandwich together. They create something nourishing, lasting, and full of flavour- an organisation where children and adults truly thrive.
Meet the author:
Julia Hancock ACC FCCT is Director of Boundless Learning Ltd and a lifelong advocate for values-led leadership, learning, and wellbeing. A former headteacher and corporate leader, she now works with organisations and individuals to develop clarity of direction, reconnect with purpose, and thrive through bespoke consultancy, coaching, and supervision. As a Resilient Leaders Elements Consultant, LRTS Visiting Fellow, and Lego Serious Play facilitator, Julia brings creativity and research-driven practice to leadership and organisational development. Her work is rooted in emotional intelligence, oracy, curriculum design, and the promotion of wellbeing across communities, inspiring compassionate minds and enabling every individual to become a leader of their own learning.
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