T is for Time Traps

Where staff time quietly disappears — and how to get it back

Most schools don’t lose time in dramatic ways. It rarely vanishes in one big, obvious decision.

It goes in small, repeatable ways.

In meetings that drift.

In emails that multiply.

In initiatives that overlap.

In tasks that no one quite remembers starting.

Individually, none of it looks like a serious problem. Collectively, it’s bloody exhausting.

When budget and capacity are tight, time becomes your most fragile resource. Protecting it is much easier when you're honest about where it’s slipping away.

Five common time traps, and practical ways to tighten them up

1. The “One More Thing” Trap

A new idea lands brilliantly. It sounds sensible enough. It’s added to the list without anything being removed.

Before adding anything new, ask: What are we stopping to make space for this? If nothing moves, you’re increasing load, not improving focus.

2. The Meeting Drift Trap

Meetings start with a purpose but end up covering everything. The agenda expands. The time overruns. The outcomes are unclear.

End meetings by stating one clear action per person.If it can’t be summarised simply, it probably wasn’t focused enough.

3. The Duplicate Effort Trap

Different teams working on similar problems separately. Policies rewritten twice. Resources recreated. Conversations repeated.

Map who owns what. Clarity of ownership saves more time than most efficiency drives.

4. The Over-Explanation Trap

Long briefings. Lengthy emails. Slides packed with information. The assumption that more detail equals more clarity.

Lead with the headline. If you can’t explain it in two or three sentences, simplify it before sharing.

5. The “We’ve Always Done It” Trap

My personal favourite. Processes seem to just continue because they always have. Reports are produced because they always were. Tasks are completed because no one, absolutely no one, has questioned them.

Pick one recurring task this term and ask: If we stopped this, what would genuinely suffer? If the answer is “very little”, that’s useful information.

Time rarely disappears in one big leak. It tends to drain through habits.

When you tighten the small things, capacity will return. You'll feel less stretched. Your priorities will be clearer. Conversations will become shorter and sharper. (Okay, not all conversations.)

That’s where development becomes more effective too. When time is protected and deliberate, training lands better. Flexible models like SkillsBridge CPD Select often work well for busy schools because they allow you to align professional development with real priorities — rather than adding another layer on top of everything else.

If you want a simple way to review how your priorities, staff time, and EIF areas are lining up, the Smart Steps Guide to the New EIF can help structure that thinking. And if it helps to talk it through, our Training Partnership Managers are always happy to explore where time might be leaking — and how to tighten it.

Talk to a Training Partnership Manager