Professional Reflective Supervision
For school leaders who want a confidential space to think
Supervision is something more school leaders are turning to - a regular, protected space to reflect on the job with someone who isn't part of your school, your staff room, or your circle.
What supervision actually is
Supervision isn't coaching, and it isn't therapy.
It's not goal-oriented the way coaching is - there's no "you're at A, let's get you to B."
It's curiosity-led instead. We look properly at whatever you bring, from a few different angles, and often that alone is what creates a shift. Most school leaders leave a session feeling lighter than when they arrived, simply from having had the space to think out loud, properly, without needing to manage how it lands.
Much of what makes it work is that I'm entirely independent of your school. There's nothing to manage here - you can say things you wouldn't say anywhere else in the school building. It's confidential, non-judgemental, and entirely yours - with standard professional exceptions set out in the supervision agreement.
A session usually has a similar shape:
We check in - How are you arriving today? What's actually on your mind, underneath the job title?
We explore - You bring something - a specific pressure, a decision, a relationship, a pattern you've noticed. We look at it properly: what's making it wobble, what's going on with it, what's not yet been spotted.
We reflect - What's shifted? What's clearer now than it was an hour ago? What are you taking away with you?
If you're in crisis, or your mental health means you're currently unable to work, supervision isn't the right space for that - your GP, and possibly therapy or counselling, is.
Supervision is for reflecting on the job well, not for holding acute distress.
How it works
I offer supervision in a block of 6 one-hour sessions. Most sessions run virtually via Google Meet, though some clients prefer a walk-and-talk session over the phone - movement and being outdoors can genuinely help the process, so this is available if it suits you better.
Wherever you're joining from, it helps to be somewhere you won't be disturbed and can speak openly - sometimes about genuinely sensitive things - without needing to worry about being overheard.
Most school leaders book a session every 4–5 weeks. Some prefer to spread all 6 across the school year, one per term.
What it means for your school
A school leader with somewhere to properly think tends to make steadier decisions - not because supervision teaches leadership skills, but because decisions made from a settled, unburdened place are usually better ones than decisions made while running on empty.
Leaders who have genuine support are also less likely to burn out and leave, and less likely to need time off along the way - both with real costs to a school. The same support tends to shape culture too: a leader who models healthy boundaries makes space for staff to do the same.Cost
Whether you or your school is paying, the sessions themselves are exactly the same.
The two options below reflect who's covering the cost, not any difference in what is being offered.
Paying privately
£84 per session - £504 for the full block of 6.
Pay upfront, or spread across 6 months.
School Funded
£162 per session - £972 for the full block of 6.
Invoiced upfront, in full.
Some leaders choose to pay privately; for others, it's funded by their school as part of investing in their training and wellbeing. It might feel strange asking your school to fund something for you specifically. But this is professional development, not a personal extra.
If you'd like your school to fund this, the Supervision in Education Quality Standards Framework is a genuinely useful document to help make that case - it's the first framework of its kind in education, and it helps explain to a school or governing body what supervision actually is and why it's worth funding.
Who tends to work well with me
- You want a real handle on the job - not just workload tips, but an actual space to think about boundaries, pressure, and what's sustainable for you.
- You're willing to show up as you actually are that day - some sessions are energetic, some are slower and quieter, and both are genuinely useful. What matters is arriving as yourself, not the polished version you'd bring to a staff meeting.
- You're neurodivergent (diagnosed or not), or simply want a supervisor who understands that some brains need a different kind of space. (I'm neurodivergent myself, though I don't hold specific ND-practitioner credentials - just a genuine understanding of what that can be like.)
Who is this the right fit for
- If you're currently in crisis, or unable to work due to your mental health, supervision isn't the appropriate space - please speak to your GP.
- If you're looking for goal-directed coaching towards a specific outcome, rather than reflective, curiosity-led conversation, this may not be what you're after.
Getting Started
New to working with me?
Book a short discovery call first, so we can check it's a genuinely good fit before committing to a block of sessions.
If your school has agreed to fund this for you
Just book a discovery call as normal, and let me know it's school-funded when we speak. I'll invoice the school directly once we're underway.
Already worked with me before, through Education Support or privately?
You'll already have my email - but in case you've lost it, I'm at gemma@headsphere.co.uk