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Original poster

Choosing a school - how important is the Head?

34 replies

AChickenCalledKorma · 22/07/2012 17:40

I've always subscribed to the notion that you can tell a lot about a school by meeting the Head. Organisations take on the personality of their leaders etc.

And now we have a choice of two secondary schools for our eldest child (just going into Yr 6). In one case, I loved the school but found the Head arrogant and somewhat smarmy. In the other case, the school was less impressive at first sight, but I warmed to the Head and felt that she was someone that had similar values to me.

I wonder whether secondary schools are such large organisations that the personality of the Head is less of an issue than it would be at primary? Presumably one deals with Heads of Year, form tutors etc far more than the actual Head. The school with the smarmy Head was definitely our first choice, right up to the moment when I heard him speak!!!

Any observations?

OP posts:
mummytime · 23/07/2012 07:51

How much have you met the Head? Have you just seen his public persona?
There is always whining about a new head within the first couple of years, people don't like change even if it is for the good.
Good results doesn't have to mean that other stuff is lost.

Some parents have described DCs Head as "smarmy" personally I think he is great, and the school certainly is.

difficultpickle · 23/07/2012 07:48

I chose ds's school because of the head. Unfortunately she took early retirement at the end of yr 1 and was replaced by the older deputy head. The school has changed greatly and not for the better.

exoticfruits · 23/07/2012 07:35

If he is results driven you can lose a lot on the way.

exoticfruits · 23/07/2012 07:34

I go with BeingFluffy's post BUT they are in the school for a long time and Heads change. DS started with a great one and I wasn't so keen on the replacement.

Original poster
AChickenCalledKorma · 23/07/2012 07:28

Interesting ... a number of different viewpoints there!

I must admit that I hadn't really thought about the unknown quantity of Heads leaving. Although it is somewhat relevant in that the smarmy Head has only been at the school 2 years. In that time, he has overseen an upward spiral in results, but I hear the occasional rumbling about the ethos of the school changing (more driven/results-focussed, less of the other stuff that makes school into a whole experience).

OP posts:
BackforGood · 22/07/2012 23:12

I wonder if you are talking about my dd's school ? Grin

As far as I'm concerned, my ds's school is FAR better than my dd's school, simply because of the ethos of the HT and staff, in encouraging parents to communicate with them in any one of many means, as opposed to my dd's school where the HT is patronising and refuses to have any kind of meeting where parents might be able to offer support / suggestions (I'm talking about things like maybe starting a 2nd hand Uniform sale, not a campaign to get rid of half the teachers Wink).
You never, ever know what will happen in your lives and the lives of the dcs over the next 7 years (or longer if there are siblings), but being able to approach the school and talk openly with them is hugely reassuring.
That said, of course a HT can leave, which is another thought to consider, but generally speaking, their ethos is reflected throughout the school, yes.

BeingFluffy · 22/07/2012 18:34

I was told by an educational psychologist years ago that there are three things to look for in a school; the headteacher, the headteacher, the headteacher. So far it has proved correct.

The unknown quantity is whether the nice or smarmy head has plans to leave in the next couple of years.

hellymelly · 22/07/2012 18:27

I can only comment about primary level as my dds are small, but I will say that the moment there are problems where you need the help and support of the head, they become very important indeed. If you are lucky and never need that then the teachers are probably more important, but you can't predict how things will pan out.

dexter73 · 22/07/2012 18:11

I would go for the school I liked rather than the Head as they may not stay at the school.

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