Stepping into the role of a deputy headteacher is the next transformative step in your school leadership journey but now you’re in this role, where do you start? Rest assured, Honeyguide is here to provide unwavering support with this comprehensive resource designed specifically for deputy headteachers. From preparing for your new position to navigating your initial weeks and beyond, we've created this customisable checklist with tasks spanning the breadth of school leadership to ensure your success. Let us do some of the thinking for you so you can get on with what you do best.

Becoming an assistant headteacher is an exciting step into senior leadership but with a new role comes new responsibilities. At Honeyguide, we understand the unique challenges and aspirations of new leaders like you. Our comprehensive resource is specifically designed to support you through the crucial first stages of your new position, empowering you to make a positive impact in your first term and beyond. Use this checklist, specifically written for assistant headteachers, to take some of the pressure off the initial thought processes required and instead, start to take action for yourself and your school community.

🔒 Fully aligned to the final Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit 2025

New for 2025, this curriculum and teaching audit pack helps heads, deputies, SLT and curriculum leaders review their curriculum design (intent) and the delivery of it (implementation) across eight key areas. Fully aligned with the Ofsted 2025 School Inspection Toolkit, it supports self-evaluation, curriculum planning, inspection preparation and whole-school improvement.

☑️ Comprehensive curriculum and teaching audit document with structured prompts across eight key themes: strategic leadership of curriculum and teaching, securing strong foundations for all pupils, school and subject curriculum design, teaching practice and delivery, inclusive curriculum and teaching, professional development and continuous improvement, culture and collaboration, and evaluating impact 
☑️ Complete audit toolkit includes action plan template, curriculum and teaching evidence checklist, staff, pupil, parent/carer and governor question bank, a one-page SLT/governor summary and step-by-step guidance on conducting an effective audit
☑️ Fully editable templates allow you to adapt all materials for your school's specific context and priorities

Ideal for curriculum leaders, heads and SLT conducting curriculum reviews, evaluating teaching quality, planning school improvement or preparing for Ofsted inspection.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 This audit pack is part of our Complete School Leadership Audit Set, which includes eleven audits in one purchase, saving you money whilst ensuring you can evaluate your entire school provision across all Ofsted evaluation areas plus plus three essential good practice audits.

New for 2025, strengthen your school’s approach to attendance with this updated audit pack. Designed for leaders overseeing attendance strategy and practice, it guides a clear, honest review of what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next.

From strategic leadership and inclusive practice to working with families and evaluating impact, each section helps you unpick the barriers behind absence and shape a culture of belonging and high expectations. Built around Ofsted’s draft 2025 toolkit and the DfE’s Working Together to Improve Attendance guidance, it gives you confidence that your approach is robust and responsive. All buyers will receive a free update when Ofsted publish their final inspection toolkit in September so that the audit paperwork is fully aligned with the final framework.

☑️ Editable 20-page audit exploring five themes: leadership and culture, inclusive practice, partnership working, promoting belonging, and continuous improvement – all with clear reflection prompts throughout

☑️ Practical extras: whole-school attendance strategy template with guiding prompts, editable attendance letter templates for different scenarios, and a one-page SLT and governor summary to share findings clearly

☑️ Includes an action plan template, document checklist and staff, pupil and parent question bank to build a complete picture of strengths and priorities

Whether you’re an attendance officer, attendance champion, headteacher, deputy, assistant head, school business manager or pastoral leader, this pack helps you lead attendance work confidently and prepare for inspection with clarity and purpose.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 The contents of this pack can also be found in our full Attendance Strategy, Monitoring and Training Pack

🔒 Fully aligned to the final Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit 2025

New for 2025, this achievement audit pack helps heads, deputies and school leaders review pupil achievement, progress and outcomes across six key areas. Fully aligned with the Ofsted 2025 School Inspection Toolkit, it supports self-evaluation, attainment analysis and whole-school improvement planning.

☑️ Comprehensive 32-page achievement audit document with structured prompts across six key themes: leadership and strategy for achievement, foundational knowledge, inclusive achievement in national tests and examinations, inclusive achievement across the curriculum, assessment systems and data quality, and evaluating impact and continuous improvement

☑️ Complete audit toolkit includes 19-page guidance document on achievement, action plan template, achievement evidence checklist, pupil, parent, staff and governor question bank, a one-page SLT/governor summary, and step-by-step guidance on conducting an effective audit

☑️ Supports comprehensive review of pupil outcomes, attainment and progress data, equity for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, curriculum impact, and readiness for next steps with confidence and clarity

☑️ Fully editable templates allow you to adapt all materials for your school's specific context and priorities

Ideal for heads, SLT, curriculum leaders and assessment leads reviewing pupil outcomes, evaluating attainment and progress, or preparing for inspection under the new Ofsted framework.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 This audit pack is part of our Complete School Leadership Audit Set, which includes eleven audits in one purchase, saving you money whilst ensuring you can evaluate your entire school provision across all Ofsted evaluation areas plus plus three essential good practice audits.

🔒 Fully aligned to the final Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit 2025

New for 2025, this editable audit pack helps heads, deputies and school leaders take a clear-sighted look at how their school promotes personal development and supports pupil well-being. Built around the structure and themes in Ofsted’s final 2025 School Inspection Toolkit, it offers a detailed framework to evaluate current strengths, identify gaps and shape next steps in students' personal development and well-being.

You'll get:

☑️ Comprehensive and editable 52-page personal development and well-being audit document with guiding questions and evidence prompts across six key framework areas: strategic leadership of personal development, the personal development programme, careers education, pastoral support and well-being, inclusive personal development, and evaluating impact.
☑️ Document checklist and voice-gathering question bank to support evidence triangulation when auditing, plus action plan template, one-page summary and grade descriptor grids to support next steps
☑️ 18-page audit guidance providing detailed commentary on each evaluation area

Ideal for leaders who want to reflect now, plan ahead and keep school improvement moving, regardless of when inspection is due.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 This audit pack is part of our Complete School Leadership Audit Set, which includes eleven audits in one purchase, saving you money whilst ensuring you can evaluate your entire school provision across all Ofsted evaluation areas plus plus three essential good practice audits.

🔒 Fully aligned to the final Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit 2025

New for 2025, this comprehensive safeguarding audit pack provides DSLs, child protection leads and SLT with everything needed to review safeguarding culture, systems and compliance across the eight key areas that matter most to inspectors.

☑️ Complete 46-page safeguarding audit document covering strategic leadership, operational management, staff training, safer recruitment, child-on-child violence, site safety and continuous improvement, with structured questions and evidence prompts to evaluate current provision and identify next steps

☑️ 18-page step-by-step audit guidance explaining how to conduct effective safeguarding audits, triangulate evidence, and avoid common pitfalls when reviewing school provision

☑️ Ready-to-use templates and tools including action plan template, safeguarding evidence checklist, stakeholder question bank for staff, pupils, parents and governors, plus one-page summary template for SLT and governing body reporting

Ideal for DSLs, deputy DSLs, headteachers and safeguarding leaders reviewing statutory compliance, preparing for inspection or strengthening safeguarding practice.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 This audit pack is part of our Complete School Leadership Audit Set, which includes eleven audits in one purchase, saving you money whilst ensuring you can evaluate your entire school provision across all Ofsted evaluation areas plus plus three essential good practice audits.

🔒 Fully aligned to the final Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit 2025

New for 2025, this Inclusion Audit Pack helps SENDCos, DSLs, inclusion leads, designated teachers and SLT review inclusion, SEND and disadvantaged pupil provision across eight comprehensive areas. Aligned with Ofsted's 2025 School Inspection Toolkit, it supports self-evaluation, continuous improvement and strategic leadership for inclusive education.

☑️ Comprehensive 39-page inclusion audit document with structured prompts across eight key themes: inclusive vision and culture, identifying and meeting needs, supporting disadvantaged pupils, supporting pupils with SEND, supporting pupils known (or previously known) to children's social care, inclusive practice across curriculum and wider school life, partnerships with families and services, and evaluating impact

☑️ Complete audit toolkit includes action plan template, inclusion evidence checklist, staff, pupil, parent/carer and governor question bank, a one-page SLT/governor summary, Ofsted inclusion grade descriptor grids and guidance on conducting an effective audit

☑️ Supports comprehensive review of SEND provision, pupil premium strategies, looked-after and previously looked-after pupil provision, and wider inclusive practice with confidence and clarity 

☑️ Fully editable templates allow you to adapt all materials for your school's specific context and priorities

Ideal for SENCOs, inclusion leaders, pupil premium champions, designated teachers for looked-after children, and deputy or assistant heads with responsibility for  inclusion, whether preparing for inspection, reviewing provision or planning next steps for school improvement.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 This audit pack is part of our Complete School Leadership Audit Set, which includes eleven audits in one purchase, saving you money whilst ensuring you can evaluate your entire school provision across all Ofsted evaluation areas plus plus three essential good practice audits.

🔒 Fully aligned to the final Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit 2025

New for 2025, strengthen attendance and behaviour across your school with this practical audit pack for headteachers, SLT, attendance and behaviour leads and pastoral teams. Aligned with Ofsted's 2025 School Inspection Toolkit, it helps you evaluate attendance systems, behaviour culture, policies and practice with confidence and clarity.

☑️ Comprehensive 52-page attendance and behaviour audit document with structured prompts across eight key themes: strategic leadership of attendance and behaviour, attendance systems and support, behaviour culture, routines and expectations, tackling bullying and ensuring safety, escalation and staff support, attitudes to learning, inclusive approaches to attendance and behaviour, and evaluating impact and continuous improvement

☑️ Complete audit toolkit includes 22-page guidance document covering attendance and behaviour expectations and how to audit effectively, action plan template, attendance and behaviour evidence checklist, staff, pupil and parent question bank, and a one-page SLT/governor summary

☑️ Supports comprehensive review of attendance strategies, behaviour management approaches, anti-bullying practice, pastoral support systems and inclusive provision with confidence and clarity

☑️ Fully editable templates allow you to adapt all materials for your school's specific context and priorities

Ideal for headteachers, SLT, attendance and behaviour leads and anyone reviewing attendance and behaviour to strengthen school culture, conduct a whole-school audit or prepare for an Ofsted inspection.

🔎 Want a closer look? Click here to preview the audit pack🔗 

👉 This audit pack is part of our Complete School Leadership Audit Set, which includes eleven audits in one purchase, saving you money whilst ensuring you can evaluate your entire school provision across all Ofsted evaluation areas plus plus three essential good practice audits.