08/07/2025
🔥 Toxic leadership doesn’t just happen in big corporations or the headlines. It happens quietly in schools—behind governors’ doors, in staff meetings, and in emails to concerned parents. It happens when those who raise legitimate concerns are gaslit, blamed for “creating problems,” and subtly turned into scapegoats to keep others silent.
It happens when:
🚫 Parents raising concerns about safeguarding, data protection and the quality of education and communication are labelled “vexatious.”
🚫 Professionals who speak up are told to “meet face-to-face” to avoid a written trail.
🚫 Serious data breaches are minimised instead of transparently addressed.
We talk a lot about accountability, but what happens when those at the top actively avoid it?
👉 This is where whistleblowing—in the public interest—becomes not just a right but a responsibility.
📌 Parents are not the enemy for expecting transparency.
📌 Staff are not disloyal for calling out unsafe systems.
📌 Regulators are not overreaching when they step in to restore trust.
True leadership isn’t about avoiding criticism. It’s about embracing it as a chance to improve.
💡 If you’re in an organisation where raising concerns feels dangerous, ask yourself: is this culture protecting the vulnerable—or protecting itself?
💡 And here’s the crucial thing: if you speak up about safeguarding, governance, or data protection failings, you are protected by law under the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA).
To the parents and professionals who speak truth to power: you are not “difficult.”
WE as parents are the safety net.
