Schools couldn’t operate without middle leaders.  Whilst those with subject responsibilities have always had an integral role to perform the 2019 Ofsted Framework has heightened the focus on them.  The implementation of a school’s curriculum intent is realised through school subjects, with student achievement being used to measure the impact the curriculum has had.  There exists, therefore, an ongoing dynamic between what the subject needs and those of the school.  Where a school stipulates policy that things must be implemented in a certain way for consistency, making quality assurance more straightforward, leaders must be mindful of the compromise this places on subjects as they work in a way that is not authentic to the subject.  It doesn’t have to be this way; what is important is that subjects know the contribution that they make to the wider whole school picture whilst remaining true to themselves.  A middle leader is an ambassador for their subject and how it works, representing their subject at whole school level.  The minimum requirement to lead on a subject is to have curriculum expertise in that subject.