Book review: Stopping Bad Things Happening, by Dr Mike Waters

Stopping Bad Things Happening to Good Schools and Good School Leaders, by Dr Mike Waters

Stopping Bad Things Happening is a book about planning for and managing the unexpected events at schools that can result in disproportionate fallout, even at times turning crises into tragedies.



Teacher supervises pupils

Author Dr Mike Waters recognises that, over the past 10 years, the prevalence of social media has resulted in overreactions to such events by parents, governors and other stakeholders.

Many schools will have had incidents – such as a behavioural event in the classroom, playground or even outside school, for example – where the use of social media has had a potentially corrosive influence on the ethos of the school, with blame being cast in all directions by anyone with a viewpoint, whether they were present at the time of the incident or not.

The handling of such events is the theme that runs through the whole book.

Waters also includes more everyday events, and in the preface lists those that occur less frequently but are all-consuming to a school community when they occur, such as when a head teacher or other member of staff leaves the school suddenly for no clearly expressed reason.

The author puts forward carefully considered approaches that encourage clear and balanced thinking based on the reactions and possible reactions from the people affected by any event.

Ideas are carefully calibrated into what he terms a response management protocol – a wrap-around title for the chapters focused on three management plans: the prevention management plan, the preparation management plan and the response management plan.

The format uses well-tried management approaches that have been developed over the past 20 years in school improvement. Each plan covers relevant events and possible reactions to consider. The illustrated scenarios are, of necessity, painted in broad brushstrokes because the book is intended for a range of school leaders, including primary and secondary head teachers.

Pros and cons are considered before readers are invited to make up their own minds. This ensures the book is a useful resource for experienced leaders who appreciate a thoughtful checklist that supports their own school self-evaluation.

It is perhaps a more daunting read for those new to leadership who may inadvertently overemphasise the bad things that can happen. For this group, the methodical attention to detail, which is a strength of the book, will need to be balanced by a consciously enthusiastic approach that focuses on the good things they want to make sure do happen.

The reality of potentially destabilising events is brought home to the reader by the personal stories of three head teachers who separately had to deal with: a maverick governor, a false allegation and a school being placed in special measures after an unexpected Ofsted inspection.

These chapters are towards the end of the book, but for some readers they might be a good starting point. As the author points out in his preface, this book can be used in several ways, including as a basis for discussions and decision-making as well as preparing formal documents.

The strength of this book is its analysis of areas to consider when planning for the unexpected. School leaders will benefit from the chapter detailing relevant legal aspects to take into account.

The book concludes with “a nurture plan for your head teacher”, a thoughtful appendix that reminds the reader of how important it is to support head teachers in their demanding roles.

It might also be a reminder to head teachers of the importance of nurturing all leaders and managers as part of their own planning, including within their own response management protocol or its equivalent.

  • Dr Mike Waters (BA, MA, PhD) is a Prospect member and an independent education consultant, trainer and coach. He has held senior positions in schools and local authority advisory services.
  • Maria Marsh is a member of the Education and Children’s Services group executive council.
  • Any member who has written a book or publication on education and would like to have it reviewed for inclusion in Prospect communication should contact [email protected]