14/01/2020
Head Teacher jobs
(Also known as Head master / mistress, Principal, Master, Leader, Director)
A head teacher is the most senior teacher and leader of a school, responsible for the education of all pupils, management of staff, and for school policy making. Head teachers are the most senior teachers and leaders of primary and secondary schools, sixth-form colleges and, less commonly, further education colleges. There are around 18,000 primary school and 3,500 secondary school head teachers in England. Head teachers are ultimately responsible for the smooth running of a school, the academic achievement of its pupils and the management of its staff. Although they are usually teachers with many years’ experience, the emphasis of their role is to provide educational vision and direction rather than teaching in classrooms. Head teachers lead, motivate and manage staff by delegating responsibility, setting expectations and targets and evaluating staff performance against them. It is a job which requires a strong presence around a school and in some cases the local community, as well as a certain amount of desk work.
SALARY
All qualified teachers in state schools are paid according to pay scales, updated each September by the government. As of September 2008, head teachers in state schools are paid between £40,494 and £100,424 per annum (£47,265 and £107,192 in inner London) depending on their experience and the size and policies of the school in which they work. Due to a shortage of head teachers in the UK, some schools now offer financial incentives associated with the role. Secondary schools tend to offer higher salaries than primary schools for a number of reasons. These can include risk-factors and the fact that secondary schools tend to be larger than primary schools. Independent schools operate outside of government pay scales, and head teachers of independent schools can generally expect higher salaries.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Some head teachers have a few teaching responsibilities, but in general the large proportion of their work is the day-to-day management, organisation and administration of the school in order to create a productive, disciplined learning environment. Specifically, the head teacher’s main responsibilities involve:
Formulating overall aims and objectives for the school and policies for their implementation
Working with governors and senior colleagues to deploy staff effectively and recruit new staff
Meeting with other education professionals, and representing the school at conferences and other events outside the school in the local community and nationwide
Motivating, training and disciplining staff
Ensuring the motivation of the pupils
Ensuring an infrastructure is in place in which all members of staff and pupils feel they can register their opinions on serious matters, and have a route via which they can communicate problems to senior members of staff
Ensuring the good financial management of the school
Ensuring the school is up-to-date with innovations, from teaching practices to new technologies
Reporting on the school’s performance to a range of audiences, including governors, the Local Education Authority, the local community, Ofsted and others
Managing accommodation (e.g. classrooms) effectively to meet the needs of the curriculum and Health & Safety requirements
Assuming responsibility for other legal matters in the day-to-day running of the school
Assuming responsibility for pastoral care of pupils where necessary
Resolving major disciplinary issues with pupils, including working in partnership with the police and social services.
In some schools, head teachers must also establish and maintain links or partnerships with businesses.
QUALIFICATIONS
Requirements vary between schools, but having QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) is necessary in state schools. This could be gained through a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education), a GTP (Graduate Training Programme), RTP (Registered Teacher Programme) or Teach First. In addition, several years’ teaching experience is usually necessary. However, head-teachers are increasingly recent graduates, particularly in primary schools. The rise of the ‘career head-teacher’ has been hailed as a consequence of fast-track qualification schemes such as Teach First, in which exceptional graduates qualify as teachers very soon after leaving university with a short period of intense training and a longer period of teaching experience. In order to apply for a first headship in the maintained sector it is mandatory to hold or have a place to study for a NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship). Some head-teachers will be ‘qualified’ in other ways which do not necessarily relate directly to their professional training. For example in their ethical outlook, familiarity with the school or religious persuasion.
SKILLS
Schools vary considerably in size, but even in medium-sized schools head teachers can be responsible for up to 1,000 pupils and hundreds of staff. The role requires an ability to understand a complex organisation while also being able to resolve sometimes highly emotional and personal conflicts and challenges of staff and pupils. The skills required are many, and often difficult to specify, from crisis-negotiation to the tackling of mountains of paperwork. However, some of the skills required by most head-teachers include the following:
Leadership skills, displaying courage and conviction
Strong interpersonal skills
Academic ability as well as an ability to understand and communicate with those who struggle in education
A desire to work with children and/or young adults
Prioritisation, planning and organisation skills
Being able to work as part of a team
An ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
Effective communication skills
An ability to devolve responsibilities, delegate tasks and monitor practices to see that they are being carried out
WORKING CONDITIONS
Head teachers will often work far longer hours than the standard school hours, with days starting at 8:30am and finishing at 4:30pm. Teachers typically work for 195 days (or 39 weeks) at school per year, with a long six-week period out of school over the summer. However, most head teachers are expected to do some work during out-of-school periods, with the amount varying school-by-school. Head teachers must be the face of the school and be prepared to defend the actions of its staff or discipline them where necessary. Negotiating the sometimes conflicting interests of staff, pupils, parents and other stakeholders can be an emotional strain. Head teachers usually work closely with deputy heads and assistant head teachers. Assistant head teachers are normally in charge of a specific area of the school, such as administration, staff appraisal or discipline, and are not legally allowed to run a school, although deputy heads are. Out of term, skills and responsibilities will be somewhat different to those assumed during term-time, and working conditions will vary considerably during those weeks of the year in which the school itself is closed.
EXPERIENCE
Few head teachers take on the role early in their career, as being experienced is seen as a major advantage in acquiring a position. Most head teachers have already had extensive experience either as teachers or working in schools and in education in other roles, which could include working as a non-teaching deputy head.
EMPLOYERS
All head teachers are employed by schools. The vast majority are employed within the state sector, with salaries paid by the government. A minority of head teachers work in the private sector and are employed by individual schools.
CAREER PROGRESSION
Before taking on the role, many head teachers have experience as a head of department or as a deputy or assistant head teacher, although it is not necessary to have held any of these posts. Some head teachers move to larger schools which brings increasing challenges and, generally, better pay. If they opt to leave teaching, many head teachers remain in the education sector as school inspectors, teacher trainers, advisers and consultants to schools and local or national government.
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