This week I have been out at the United Learning Headteachers’ Conference, I had the privilege of hearing Harriet Beveridge speak. Harriet is an executive coach and co-author of the book Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?, written with Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis. The book tells the story of how the British men’s rowing eight transformed their performance ahead of the Sydney Olympics by focusing relentlessly on one simple question: “Will it make the boat go faster?”
It is a deceptively simple idea. Every decision, every action, every habit was tested against that question. If it helped the boat go faster, they did more of it. If it didn’t, they stopped.
Some of you may recognise this idea, as I have written about it before. It is not entirely new thinking for me, but hearing Harriet speak again was a timely reminder of just how powerful the concept remains, so forgive me for returning to it again but sometimes the most valuable ideas are the ones worth revisiting, particularly as they resonate with the work we do every day in school. And for those who may be hearing it for the first time, it is an idea that is well worth sharing.
Listening to Harriet speak, it reminded me how relevant that thinking is in schools.
In education, meaningful change rarely arrives through dramatic leaps forward. Instead, it is built through the small, consistent actions we take each day. Progress is rarely the result of a single lesson, a single mistake, a single intervention, or a single decision. It is the cumulative effect of hundreds of small moments: the extra explanation, the routine that is reinforced again and again, the expectation that is upheld even when it would be easier to let it slide.
Momentum is created through these moments.
When routines are consistent, when expectations are clear, and when effort is recognised, small steps begin to compound. One day’s improvement may feel almost invisible, but over weeks and months it becomes transformational. Everyday discipline is what allows that momentum to build. Discipline is sometimes misunderstood as something rigid or perhaps a punishment. In reality, it is about commitment, the steady determination to do the right things, in the right way, every day. To learn from set backs, difficulty and challenge, it is about building resilience.
For our children, that might mean completing the practise, such as Doodle Maths or English each day or practising their musical instrument, to strengthen their understanding, even when they are tired or just not in the mood. For staff, it might mean holding firm to routines that support learning even when the day feels busy or challenging. These small habits may not feel dramatic, but they are the very things that ‘move the boat forward’.
Harriet also spoke about something she called the “belief wobble.” A feeling that everyone has felt at some point. It is that moment when progress feels slow, when results are not yet visible, or when we begin to question whether our efforts are making a difference.
Children experience belief wobbles when learning feels hard. Staff experience them when the impact of their work takes time to show. In those moments it is easy to lose sight of the progress that is quietly building beneath the surface. I am personally having a belief wobble with regards to puppy toilet training!!
The key, she suggested, is to keep going through the wobble, you/they will get there!!
We are told that habits shape outcomes. The routines we practise daily become the culture of a classroom, and the culture of a classroom becomes the culture of a school. Children, in particular, need and thrive on routine; the predictability and structure it provides helps them feel secure, focused and ready to learn. Routine is not instant and requires patience, perseverance and kindness. When those habits are positive, purposeful and consistent, they create an environment where both staff and children can flourish.
Perhaps the most powerful lesson from Harriet’s message is the reminder to keep asking the question.
Will it make the boat go faster?
Does this decision support learning? Does this habit strengthen our culture? Does this action help our children move forward?
When we stay focused on those small but meaningful choices, momentum follows.
And over time, those small steps make the biggest difference of all.
So, I will keep on with the toileting training, despite my belief wobble and I look forward to some progress soon!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Jon Chesworth
Headteacher
