I have been a headteacher for 13 years and it often feels like each year is more challenging than the last.

This isn’t because my role or the motivation for the job have changed. What has become more difficult each year is the accountability pressures we face as well as the challenges of balancing budgets. These pressures will often lead to sleepless nights.

However, I remain steadfast in my belief that I have the best job in the world and every day as a headteacher is guaranteed to bring moments of absolute joy.

The pride of being a headteacher

At the heart of this joy is the undoubted power you have to make a positive impact in your students’ lives both today and in the future.

As leaders, we are fully aware of our children’s starting points and the challenges that they have faced, not just in school but often managing complex home lives and succeeding against the odds.

We often speak about the “art of the possible”, reminding young people that they have the right to be as aspirational as anyone else. It is so rewarding to see students overcome their challenges and to empower them with the tools to succeed.

Schools, teachers and leaders really do change lives, and this impact is not just felt at an individual level but across families and communities.

Seeing success

The pride that comes from seeing students you took from Year 7 to Year 13 go on to the degree course or job of their dreams and take their first steps into adulthood is inspiring every time.

From a young person gaining a place at Oxford or Cambridge and thriving in ways they never thought possible to another gaining an apprenticeship in a skill you helped them to uncover, with a guaranteed job at the end, these outcomes show that not only have you provided students with a great education but also a mindset to make bold decisions.

Indeed, many colleagues talk of the power and privilege in meeting past students and recognising the impact you have had in the launchpad that their school experience provided. Every year I bump into someone who used to attend our school and they tell me proudly what they are now up to.

The positive impact you can have is such a powerful and important part of the job in terms of its value for a community.

Setting the direction

It also gives me a regular reminder of how my work as a headteacher has the capacity to help young people to become successful adults. The fact that grown adults continue to call me “sir” in the street gives me a sense of pride.

As a school leader, setting the strategy that transforms the life chances of a cohort makes you realise that while they will rightly remember their individual teachers, decision-making and direction are vital, too.

Colleagues on the Headteachers’ Roundtable regularly describe the delights of leading a cross-phase family of schools and making plans and implementing practices that have an impact on thousands of children. You know you have played a part in enabling them to thrive and achieve.

Student joy and celebrations

Ultimately, it is the students themselves who bring the greatest joys. Watching them learn, develop and grow as they progress through the school is both rewarding and fascinating.

Every student will face highs and lows but being able to encourage and nurture them to develop the resilience they need to grow, develop and build their self-esteem is empowering. Having the kind of impact to realise the promise and potential of generations of young people is the affirming legacy of leadership.

As cohorts in Years 6, 11 and beyond pull on their leavers’ hoodies this season, it is the leaders across the country who are making the difference today and every day that leads to their sense of belonging, achievement and success.

Those students won’t remember the challenges that the school or I faced. What they will remember is the impact we had on them.

As a headteacher, you have the power to influence students’ values, ambitions and destinations. As a school leader, I truly value the responsibility I have in developing their personal, social and emotional skills as well as their academic achievements.

Kulvarn Atwal is headteacher at Highlands Primary School in London and a member of the Headteachers’ Roundtable

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