The Headteacher's Blog Issue 12

The Decisions That Shape Us

This piece is a revised and adapted version of a speech originally intended for our annual Prize Giving. In that setting, it was written to be heard; here, it is offered to be read, with a slightly more reflective tone, but with the same central idea: that education, at its best, helps young people learn how to make good decisions.

Over recent months, I have spent time in our local primary schools, talking to pupils and families about joining our community. Those conversations often begin with practicalities—subjects, timetables, opportunities—but increasingly they move towards something more fundamental. How do young people decide what to do when it matters? What shapes the choice they make in a particular moment?

This question sits at the heart of education. Beyond qualifications and outcomes, we are preparing young people for situations where the answer is not obvious, where competing pressures exist, and where judgement is required. Understanding how decisions are made is therefore not an abstract concern; it is central to what schools aim to do.

Research into adolescent development, particularly the work of Laurence Steinberg, provides a useful frame. He suggests that decision-making is shaped by the interaction of two systems. One is fast and intuitive, driven by reward, emotion, and the desire for social approval. The other is slower and more reflective, involving reasoning, self-control, and consideration of consequences.

These systems are not always in balance—especially in adolescence. A young person may know the “right” choice, yet choose differently when caught up in the immediacy of a situation, surrounded by peers, or under pressure. Decisions are rarely made in calm isolation; they happen in groups, in moments, and often under emotional strain. Context matters. Belonging matters.

What schools can do—what we must do—is help strengthen the reflective side of that process, while recognising the power of the other. This is where culture becomes critical. The environment young people inhabit shapes how those systems interact; it nudges choices in one direction or another.

Our values—Respect, Participate and Reach—play a role here, but perhaps more simply than we sometimes articulate. Respect encourages pupils to look beyond themselves and consider the impact of their actions. Participation ensures they have enough experiences to practise making decisions in different contexts. Reach encourages them to aim higher and to take the kinds of risks that lead to growth. Collectively, they are less about slogans and more about creating the conditions in which better decisions become more likely.

Because decision-making improves with experience. It is developed through doing—through success and failure, through pressure and reflection. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, in performance, or in moments of challenge, pupils encounter situations where choices have consequences. They learn what good decisions feel like and, just as importantly, how to respond when they fall short.

Over time, those experiences build judgement. They also build something else: an awareness that decisions are rarely just individual acts. Young people are influenced by those around them, often far more than by any formal instruction. They observe. They imitate. They respond. In that sense, decisions become contagious. When effort is visible, others work harder. When kindness is evident, others choose kindness. When participation is the norm, more pupils step forward.

This is how a culture forms—not through policy alone, but through example and repetition. And it is why moments like Prize Giving matter. They do not simply recognise outcomes; they highlight the decisions that sit behind them. The hours of effort, the resilience through difficulty, the willingness to try, to persist, to improve. Each example reinforces what is possible and what is valued.

Psychology helps us understand the process, but in practice it comes back to something straightforward. Each day presents choices, often small, sometimes significant. The decision to be kind when it would be easier not to be. The decision to work hard when no one is watching. The decision to choose the right path, even when another feels more immediate or more appealing.

If we can help young people recognise those moments, and feel equipped to respond to them well, then we are doing something that extends far beyond school. We are helping them build the habits of decision-making that will shape their lives—and, in turn, the lives of those around them.