Before October Half Term: Leadership Checklist 2026

A checklist for headteachers and senior leaders to work through in the last fortnight before the October half term, so nothing is waiting for you when you come back. Each section has columns for who is doing it and a tick when it's done.What's inside The dates to keep in mind this autumn: the 31 October resignation deadline (a Saturday in 2026), the information sharing duty in force from 30 September, and the 31 December inclusion strategy statement Safeguarding over the break: DSL contact, pupils you're worried about, contractors on site and the KCSIE 2026 Part one record Attendance: first half-term patterns, pupils who may not return and term-time leave requests Staff: resignations over half term, appraisal, new staff and ECTs, and workload Teaching, data and inclusion, including the IDSR and starting the inclusion strategy statement Site, office and governors A box for the first morning back Format: editable Word document and a PDF.Part of the HeadteacherChat community library. Members get this resource, the full topic pack it belongs to and every update when guidance changes, alongside live sessions and more than 1,400 fellow school leaders. Join the community.