Dame Jean Else, the down-to-earth ex-PE teacher, now head of Whalley Range high in Manchester, tells a good story about how she started. In a Parkinson-like conversation with Ralph Tabberer of the Teacher Training Agency she reminisces and explains her beliefs about the importance of vision and the courage to take risks.

She recalls taking a fortnight to realise that she could not work with her senior management team. Her video interview is one in a series of “leadership stories” presented on the web by the National College for School Leadership at www.westminster-digital.co.ukncslleadershipleadership.htm The college’s site is growing rapidly. Its resources can now be plundered from www.ncsl.org.uk

Readers can email suggestions on future Internet Insights to Sam Saunders at J.P.Saunders@leeds.ac.uk