The Myth of the Quiet Summer Term

Over the second half of the summer term, one pattern surfaced in almost every coaching conversation I had with school leaders. It was probably the clearest recurring pattern I’ve noticed since I began writing these reflections.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t workload. It wasn’t behaviour. It wasn’t even accountability. Instead, it was the expectation that, by this point in the academic year, things should be slowing down.

In coaching conversations with leaders from primary, secondary and specialist settings, the same comments surfaced repeatedly.

→ “I thought things would be calmer by now.”
→ “Once Year 11 leave, I’ll gain some time.”
→ “I’m looking forward to things settling down.”
→ “I just need to get to the summer holidays.”

What struck me was that these comments often came from experienced leaders who know the rhythm of the school year well. Yet despite that experience, many were still surprised by what actually happened. Perhaps we’ve convinced ourselves that Summer Term 2 is the quieter part of the year. Yet year after year, many leaders discover exactly the opposite.

What the myth of the quiet summer term looks like in schools

Over recent coaching conversations, leaders described preparing for September while still trying to finish June and July well. Their conversations weren’t dominated by examination classes.

Instead they were talking about:
→ Transition days.
→ Staffing changes.
→ Curriculum planning.
→ Reports.
→ Residential visits.
→ Recruitment.
→ School improvement priorities.
→ Handover meetings.
→ End-of-year celebrations.

The work hadn’t disappeared. It had simply changed. Across different schools and settings, the pattern felt remarkably familiar. The context was different. The experience was remarkably similar. Leaders often found themselves living in two timeframes at once. Finishing one academic year while mentally beginning another. It isn’t necessarily that leaders are doing more. It’s that they’re carrying two school years at the same time. That creates an invisible pressure which is difficult to recognise until somebody names it.

Transition Term rather than winding down

Reflecting on these coaching conversations also made me think about my own time in school leadership. For years, I used to tell myself that once examination classes started their exams, I would somehow “gain time.” Looking back, I never really did. The time wasn’t gained. It was simply replaced.

Instead of focusing on Year 11 or Year 13, my attention shifted towards September.

Staffing. Curriculum. Transition. Planning. Preparation.

If I could go back, I think I would stop thinking about Summer Term 2 as the final part of one academic year. Instead, I would think of it as Transition Term. That subtle change in language would have changed my expectations. Rather than wondering why I still felt busy, I would have recognised that my role had naturally shifted from delivery towards transition. Sometimes the way we describe our work changes how we experience it.

Why It Matters Through an Educational Leadership Lens

The myth of the quiet summer term matters because expectations and reality often fail to match. Many leaders expect capacity to increase once examinations finish or key deadlines pass. Instead, leadership quietly changes gear. The operational demands of next year begin before the emotional demands of this year have fully finished. That can leave leaders feeling as though they should have more time, more energy or more capacity than they actually do. This isn’t poor time management. It isn’t a lack of organisation. It’s the reality of educational leadership.

Recognising Summer Term 2 as a period of transition rather than winding down allows leaders to set more realistic expectations of themselves. Sometimes the busiest part of the year isn’t the one we expect.

Why naming the pattern matters

One of the challenges with the myth of the quiet summer term is that many leaders assume the pressure is personal. They wonder why they still feel busy. Why they haven’t found more time. Why they haven’t managed to get ahead before the holidays. But once this pattern is named, something changes. Leaders begin to realise they aren’t failing to slow down. They’re navigating a different kind of work.

One academic year is closing. Another has already begun.

Simply recognising that can remove a surprising amount of unnecessary self-pressure.

Pause for a Moment

You might pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Q. Where were you still trying to finish this academic year while already thinking about the next one?

Sometimes the answer becomes visible very quickly.

One Small Doable Action

During Summer Term 2, separate your thinking into two simple lists.

This Year

Next Year

Notice which tasks genuinely belong to September rather than trying to complete them before the holidays. Sometimes the most helpful leadership decision is recognising that not everything needs to be finished before the end of term.

Noticing patterns in schools

This article forms part of the Noticing Patterns in Schools series, where I share patterns that emerge through leadership coaching conversations with school leaders across the UK. The aim isn’t to prescribe quick fixes or offer generic advice. Instead, it is about noticing what might otherwise go unnamed and helping leaders create space for clearer thinking.

If you’d like to receive future reflections as new patterns emerge, you can subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter here: Here

Because resilience in leadership rarely comes from working harder. More often, it begins with noticing the patterns shaping the work.

You may also be interested in our previous articles in this series :

The Emotional Release After Exams

The Competence Question