Psychological Safety in Senior Leadership Teams: The Hidden Engine of High-Performing Trusts
Psychological safety, not niceness, comfort or superficial harmony, remains the defining characteristic of the strongest senior leadership teams (SLTs) I’ve been part of. In my own experience as a headteacher and adviser, a psychologically safe culture is one where people feel able to speak up with ideas, concerns, questions or mistakes without fear of embarrassment or retribution. When a team has it, everything accelerates. When they don’t, everything stalls.
Why psychological safety matters more now
In 2025 the inspection landscape in England shifted dramatically. Ofsted’s refreshed Education Inspection Framework, introduced in November of that year, replaced single‑word judgements with a five‑point report card and brought in six core evaluation areas: inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; attendance and behaviour; personal development and well‑being; and leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged separately on a simple met/not met basis.
This update places pupil and staff well‑being alongside academic outcomes. Ofsted recognises that emotional safety, belonging and relationships are foundations for learning, and inspectors now evaluate how leaders create emotionally safe environments. Guidance from the Department for Education reinforces this shift: schools are expected to adopt a whole‑school approach to mental health, with leadership and management that actively champions emotional health and well‑being. Protecting staff mental health is now a legal duty, and inspections take staff well‑being into account. The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter encourages schools to make a public commitment to staff welfare.
Statutory curriculum updates also place safeguarding and well‑being at the heart of education. The 2025 Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance (which becomes mandatory in September 2026) includes a stronger focus on misogyny and violence against women and girls, early and online safeguarding, personal safety, mental health topics such as grief and loneliness, and the need for teacher agency when adapting content. Schools must consult parents, involve governors and ensure content is age‑appropriate. Comprehensive PSHE education is central to meeting Ofsted’s personal development and well‑being standard; inspectors will look for programmes that develop equality, resilience, mental health awareness and healthy relationships.
In this new statutory context, psychological safety is not optional for senior leadership teams. Inspectors now look closely at relational trust, staff experience, leadership behaviours and the emotional climate. A beautiful handbook will not compensate for a fearful team.
What we’ve learned from Ofsted pilot inspections
During the pilot phase in autumn 2025, Ofsted trialled the renewed framework in over a hundred schools. Many leaders found the new methodology positive and collaborative: inspectors were approachable and professional, and genuinely interested in each school’s context. Regular reflection meetings, learning walks with headteachers and a move away from narrow deep dives were well received. Adding an extra inspector reduced pressure and created more time for professional dialogue, and adjusting the schedule for smaller schools (with two inspectors on both days) made logistics more manageable.
However, there were also concerns. Leaders feeding back through the Association of School and College Leaders noted that planning inspection timetables was burdensome; some spent hours organising the second day to cover all evaluation areas. The shift to a “secure fit” model, where every expected standard must be met, makes it harder to achieve higher grades, particularly in challenging contexts. Case sampling, where inspectors examine only a handful of pupils’ work, was viewed as potentially unrepresentative. Most notably, pilot inspections increased workload and stress: senior leaders reported working long hours after inspectors left, and a majority feared the new system would be more damaging to their wellbeing than the previous framework.
These findings highlight a tension: the new framework aspires to be more collaborative and developmental, yet the expanded evaluation areas and secure‑fit expectations risk overloading teams. In this environment, psychological safety becomes even more critical. When staff feel safe to voice concerns and ask for help, they can manage the pressures of inspection without burnout.
Reflections on leading teams through safety and fear
Early in my headship, I misinterpreted silent agreement as alignment. Meetings were smooth; everyone nodded. In reality, colleagues feared challenging me. I had unintentionally created a climate where disagreement felt risky. Years later, I recognise the signs of true psychological safety:
Disagreement without tension – people raise concerns and ideas without tiptoeing.
Laughter in meetings – humour signals trust and reduces defensiveness.
Leaders admitting what they don’t know – modelling curiosity rather than perfection invites learning.
Asking for help – shows vulnerability and fosters collaboration.
Ideas being refined, not defended – discussions focus on improving outcomes, not protecting egos.
Problems surfaced early, not hidden – issues are raised before they become crises.
These elements align closely with Ofsted’s renewed emphasis on leadership behaviours and emotional climate. Inspectors will speak to staff across the organisation; they will notice whether there is openness or fear. Surface‑level harmony may now be viewed as a risk factor rather than a strength.
Reflective questions for SLTs
What topics feel unsafe to bring up in our meetings? If staff avoid certain issues, your culture may be suppressing vital feedback.
Who speaks the least, and what does that tell us? Psychological safety is measured by the voice of the quietest colleague, not the confidence of the loudest.
Do we listen to understand or to respond? Inspectors will look for evidence of relational trust; this begins with empathic listening.
How do we react when someone makes a mistake? Are mistakes treated as learning opportunities or occasions for blame?
What am I modelling as a leader: perfection or curiosity? Admitting uncertainty normalises learning and invites others to do the same.
Practical actions to build psychological safety
Normalise “I don’t know yet”. Leaders set the tone; vulnerability creates space for others to speak.
Make learning visible. Start meetings with “What did last week teach us?” This mirrors the reflective meetings that many leaders valued during the pilot inspections.
Remove blame‑based language. Swap “Who caused this?” for “What can we learn from this?”
Create protected thinking partnerships. Rotate reflective buddies each half term so that everyone has a safe space to process challenges.
Shorten agendas, deepen conversations. Less content and more connection allows for richer dialogue about personal development and well‑being.
Align with statutory guidance. Ensure your curriculum and policies reflect the updated RSHE requirements, including digital safety, mental health and inclusivity, and that staff receive training. Audit your self‑evaluation against the six evaluation areas and engage governors and parents.
Sign the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter. Use it to create a public commitment to staff welfare. Remember that protecting staff well‑being is a legal duty and is considered during inspections.
Appoint a senior mental health lead. The DfE recommends a mental health lead who has authority and capacity to oversee a whole‑school approach.
Psychological safety doesn’t make teams soft; it makes them fearless. Under Ofsted’s renewed framework, inspectors will look beyond paperwork to the lived experience of staff and pupils. They will ask whether leaders create emotionally safe environments that enable everyone to thrive. They will consider staff well‑being as part of the judgement. And they will listen carefully to whether people feel safe to speak up about what isn’t working.
For multi‑academy trusts, this is the hidden engine of high performance. In a system that now prioritises inclusion, personal development and well‑being, fearless teams will change outcomes for children. Building psychological safety in your senior leadership team is not just good practice, it’s now a statutory expectation and a moral imperative.