Effective secondary music leadership is not just about knowing your subject. One of the most important parts of the role is helping the people around you to become more confident and effective music teachers. That means understanding what your colleagues need, providing the right support, and creating a department where professional development is part of everyday practice.
Start by finding out what people need
Even in a department made up entirely of music specialists, there will be significant differences in teachers’ knowledge, experience and confidence. A skills audit can help you identify these differences. Ask colleagues to reflect on their confidence across the areas covered by your curriculum, as well as the wider work of the department, such as examination courses and extra-curricular provision. Make space for them to identify expertise that you may not currently be using, as well as areas they feel less sure of. This will help you understand the strengths and development needs within your team so that you can make better decisions about where support will have the greatest impact.
Don’t try to fix everything at once
Once you know where the gaps are, resist the temptation to tackle them all simultaneously. Consider which areas will make the biggest difference to your departmental priorities, your school improvement objectives and the quality of pupils’ musical learning. Some may be relatively easy to address, while others will require longer-term professional development.
Most importantly, involve the teachers themselves. Professional development is much more likely to be successful when teachers understand why it matters and have some ownership of the process. A well-intentioned training programme that doesn’t address the problems colleagues actually experience is unlikely to achieve very much. And remember: you are only one person. You don’t have to solve every problem in a single academic year.
Make observations genuinely developmental
Lesson observations can either build professional confidence or undermine it. The difference often comes down to how the process is approached. Before observing a colleague, be clear about the purpose and focus. During the lesson, look beyond whether particular teaching techniques were used. Pay attention to what pupils are learning, how they are responding, the musical challenge they are experiencing and how effectively the teacher is adapting their approach. Then make the feedback conversation collaborative.
Ask the teacher how they felt the lesson went before offering your own observations. Identify what worked well, provide specific evidence, and then discuss one or two realistic areas for development. A useful principle is to make positive feedback substantially outweigh criticism. Teachers should leave an observation understanding what they are already doing well and feeling motivated to develop further, not wondering whether they are simply bad at teaching.
Remember the non-specialist
If colleagues without a music background are teaching some of your curriculum, confidence may be the biggest barrier. Some teachers have spent years believing that being musical means being able to play an instrument, read notation or perform. That belief can make the prospect of teaching music feel intimidating.
Start by talking about favourite music, exploring musical experiences and demonstrating that there isn’t a single definition of being ‘musical,’ to help to challenge some of those assumptions. Then build skills gradually. Resources and schemes of work can provide valuable scaffolding, but the long-term goal should be to develop teachers’ own musical and pedagogical confidence. Give them opportunities to practise, observe experienced colleagues and revisit familiar units until they feel secure. (You could also point them in the direction of our Confidence in Secondary Music course!)
Support your SLT too
Your colleagues aren’t the only people you need to support. As a music leader, you also need to help non-specialist senior leaders understand what music education requires. Connect your departmental priorities to wider school objectives, explain what pupils are learning, and advocate for music early when whole-school decisions are being made. When you (inevitably!) disagree with an approach, frame the conversation as collaborative problem-solving rather than criticism. Your expertise is more likely to be heard when you position yourself as someone helping the school find the best solution.
Ultimately, strong music leadership isn’t about being the person who has all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions in which your colleagues can develop the confidence, knowledge and skills to do their best work.
Dr Liz Stafford, September 2026. Copyright © 2026 Music Education Solutions Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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