Disliking Head good enough reason?

[oldbeforetime]

My child wants to change schools next year. Because they want to a) go to a boarding school and b) go to a single sex school.

It is a natural break and appropriate time to change school.

I want my child to change school as I dislike the Head, and I think a Head makes or breaks a school. It is a new head from when we started.

My dh thinks that once you are at a school and without a valid reason (disliking head not valid in his book) then you shouldn't change school until it finishes.

What's other people's thoughts?

We moved DS to a different school at the age of 14 (start of GCSE years) as I felt the head was a tosser and the school and children in it would not do well. Luckily DH agreed.

Agree with your feeling that a good head is vital for a school to succeed. We have had the experience twice of heads coming in and schools going down as a result over our childrens school careers.

DS never looked back, went on to do really well and now thinks move was the making of him.

I would say if it feels right do it.

I agree with you. When I made the preferred choices on applying for schools, I was very much going by what I thought of the head.

Definitely! It's one of the biggest factors.

I had a little snigger at your title though.

Absolutely agree, the biggest single factor in a school?s success, imho, though I might add that I think it?s more important that the staff and pupils like the HT than that the parents do.

DC attends a school which was failing a few years ago and is now over-subscribed, due almost entirely to a brilliant HT. At the start of every year I buttonhole talk to her and say ?not thinking of leaving, are you??

I think your DH is wrong. You do what is best for your child each step of the way. Is your DH still in the first job he had since he left school?

FWIW my young cousin (13) has just changed schools, he was going to a private boys school - very nice school but small and he was very fed up of it, complaining all the time etc last Sept he moved to another private boys school (so it's not the girls) and he loves it, he's enthusiastic about going etc, the change in him is immense!

I do not think you should chose a school because of the Head. We all like people for differing reasons and just because you do not gel with him does not mean he does not do a sterling job keeping moral up with the staff. At the end of the day the staff are the front line and happy, productive staff are more important than a Head's personality. The Head in a senior school has virtually nothing to do with the kids anyway.

Look at the teaching staff, the children and the environment rather than the bumbing Head!

But if your not happy with the school then move, but not because you and the Head do not gel!

A Head makes all the difference. I dont like ours.

Since he joined a few years ago many of the better teachers left and the school has gone down hill on just about every metric.

Realises that I'm very sweet and innocent - I was looking at title thinking what's funny about my title?

DH wanders in, and says not realising I've started the thread 'what on earth are you reading?'

I'm now enlighted - well is it?!?

Anyway moving swiftly back to topic in hand (oh god all the innuendos! help!) -
dislike is due to a mixture of personality - I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, he is smarmy, says what he knows the recipient wants to hear. While on many occassions he's said one thing and done another. And this moves to the other side, the staff don't feel confident in their roles anymore, nor secure, as one thing is said to one and a different thing said to another.

Lots of people change schools for lots of reasons. For a private school the Head is very very important, and I would see as very valid grounds to change schools (before GCSEs etc.).

Children in private schools leave all the time, you dont have to give a reason.

Are you OK with the costs of boarding school? My DS goes and tbh it is not for everyone. Horribly expensive but for our DS the best place for him, he is thriving.

Could I ask how old your child is and where you live? Perhaps I can assist. I am in the SE!

I'm in the Home Counties.

I have had one child already go through the boarding school route and out the other side.

My ds is 7, looking for yr 3 or may hold out to yr 4.

Dont leave your child in a school if you dont like the head it probably means the head wont like you much or your child .Schools can be so different and there are some okay heads anyway arent there if people put up with things like rubbish schools they stay the same