What does it take to succeed as a Deputy Headteacher?

This month we are joined by the brilliant Adam Kohlbeck: Director of Teacher Quality at Chiltern Learning Trust, author, podcaster and speaker, and Chris Passey: Headteacher at Kimichi School, SENDCo, author, podcaster and speaker. Both Adam and Chris are co-founders of the education thinktank, EduPulse and this time have come together to author their brilliant book: Succeeding as a Deputy Head (DHT). In this episode we talk all about leadership, the role of a DHT, what makes it unique, how to get there and we bust some well-known myths about this pivotal role in school leadership.

Chris is currently Headteacher and SENDCo at Kimichi School, an independent music-specialist school. A Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Chris holds an MA in Educational Leadership, is a published children’s authorand is the co-author of Succeeding as a Deputy Head(Bloomsbury, 2026) and Professional Development for Great Teaching (Routledge, 2027). Other published work includes articles in the Chartered College of Teaching’s IMPACT journal. Co-founder of education think tank, EduPulse, he is the co-host of their popular podcast which boasts the Coaching Unpacked series with Sarah Cottinghatt. His dedication to education extends to being aChair of Governors for Central Schools Region Trust as well as sitting on the advisory board for the National Institute of Teaching and Education and as a Non-Executive Director of the Association of Education Advisors.Adam

Adam Kohlbeck is the Director of Teacher Quality at ChilternLearning Trust. Adam has spent 16 years teaching and leading in schools across London and has a proven track record of delivering outstanding improvements in teaching through developing teacher decision making. In his most recentleadership role, his school secured outcomes in the top 3% of the country for three years in a row and were the top ranked school in the region in this period. He has worked with schools and teachers in England and overseas as far afield as Australia to improve their approaches to teaching and learning. Adamis a regular speaker at conferences in the UK and Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany on topics to do with Teaching and Learning and Leadership.

He holds Chartered Teacher status from the Chartered College of Teaching, where he is also a fellow. Adam’s other qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, the National Professional Qualification in Headship and several internationally recognised coachingqualifications. Adam is also a Doctoral student at St. Mary’s University and is currently undertaking sector leading research into the nature of teacher decision making, shaping the sector’s emerging understanding of how teachers makedecisions in classrooms.

Adam is also a nationally elected member of the Council forthe Chartered College of Teaching. He also sits on the Teaching Commission, a group that produces nationally published reports advising government on an annual basis. Adam was a finalist in the 2025 National Teacher of the Yearawards.

Away from his main roles, Adam is committed to impacting the wider sector and has authored two education books with a further two to be published later in 2026. He also founded the award-winning education community, Unpacked podcasts. He has also appeared on some of the most popular education podcasts in the world.

Adam is passionate about improving teaching and learning at scale across the global education community and has an undimmed motivation to work with schools, organisations and policy makers to develop their educational practice.