How to Run your Department Successfully - Practical Guide for Subject

In this review of How to Run your Department Successfully, the bottom line is simple: this is a practical, classroom-focused handbook for subject leaders juggling teaching and management. Written specifically for heads of department, it cuts through policy jargon to deliver actionable advice on leadership styles, managing staff and pupils, and strategic curriculum work. The book's single biggest reason to buy is its emphasis on day-to-day practicality: it addresses the routine challenges that occupy a subject leader's working week and gives straightforward approaches that can be put into practice immediately.

Key Features

• Practical focus: Presents immediately usable strategies for running a department so subject leaders can apply ideas between lessons and meetings.
• Leadership guidance: Covers different leadership styles and how to adapt them to manage staff effectively within a school context.
• Managing pupil performance: Offers concrete approaches to monitoring and improving pupil outcomes that fit into ordinary departmental workflows.
• Strategic planning: Explains how to create realistic plans and align curriculum development with whole-school priorities.
• Problem coping: Describes ways to recognise and address common departmental problems without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

Who It's For

This book is aimed at current and aspiring heads of department in secondary schools who need a pragmatic, workplace-ready guide rather than theoretical leadership texts. It suits subject leaders who balance timetabled teaching with managerial responsibilities and want clear, accessible advice to improve team performance and pupil outcomes.

It is less appropriate for senior leaders seeking whole-school strategy manuals or for those wanting academic research or policy analysis; readers who need subject-specific curriculum textbooks should look elsewhere. However, for day-to-day departmental leadership, the tone and content are well matched to the role.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear, practical advice that translates directly into everyday departmental tasks.
• Focus on leadership styles provides adaptable approaches for different team contexts.
• Useful coverage of strategic planning and curriculum development that supports longer-term improvement.

Cons

• Not a substitute for subject-specific curriculum resources or detailed whole-school policy texts.

Specifications

Title	How to Run your Department Successfully
Author	Chris Turner
Audience	Subject leaders / Heads of department in secondary schools
Focus areas	Leadership, staff management, pupil performance, strategic planning, curriculum
Style	Practical, engaging, entertainingly written
Use case	Day-to-day departmental management and professional development

Our Verdict

For busy subject leaders who need a compact, practical handbook, this book is a valuable and good-value resource. It concentrates on the everyday realities of running a department and offers sensible, implementable guidance rather than abstract theory, making it a useful companion for HoDs who want straightforward tools to improve staff management and pupil outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book suitable for new subject leaders?
Yes. It is written to help those new to a head of department role understand practical management and leadership tasks in a secondary school context.

Does it cover whole-school leadership strategy?
No. The emphasis is on department-level leadership and practicalities rather than whole-school strategic theory.

Will it help with curriculum planning?
Yes. The book includes guidance on curriculum development and strategic planning that can be applied within a departmental setting.