Headship and Governors

[citykat]

Are there guidelines governors need to follow when deciding on a new head? Our school has had a 'will they/won't they retire' head, and has now decided to have the old head p/t with the deputy. I don't know if they considered any external candidates or even advertised it. Can they do that? Is there an obligation to investigate candidates and appoint the best person?
If there is a procedure they have to follow I would like confirmation that they have followed it. There was nothing in the letter about 'having considered other candidates and interviewing we decided that X and Y's experience blah blah'. Just that was what was happening. If anyone can tell me if there are best practice guidelines I'd be v grateful.
It feels like a missed opportunity to me. But if they can do what they like then I'll just shut up! Thanks

Is this for a primary school?
Used to be a governor and my understanding is that full-time Head's posts have to be advertised, but this has to be done at least 2 terms in advance so to have a new Head for September would mean advertising in January (or possibly earlier). There is also currently a shortage of people who are qualified to be Heads. I am aware of schools (particularly small primary schools) locally who have advertised and no suitable applicants have come forward.
This could work well as it gives the current Head a chance to continue their role and pass on skills to the Deputy who will also receive the necessary training without having to continue class teaching.

Head's posts are supposed to be advertised, but there is such a shortage of potential applicants for head's posts that all sorts of alternative leadership arrangements are being put in place.

All head's vacancies are notified to the Local Authority, who will have a knowledge of the number of vacancies for heads in the local area and the likely number of applicants. Based on this knowledge, the GB of your school may have decided to put different arrangements in place, rather than advertise for a new head. However this should be done in a transparent way and there would be no harm in you asking the Chair of Governors or a parent governor to explain their rationale.

If they are just altering the head teacher role from the one person to two people where the old one is working part-time and the other is part-time head teacher and part time deputy head, then this would in effect be an internal change sanctioned by the governing body and would not need to be externally advertised.
We did this at my school when the old headteacher was in his last year, splitting the job. It allowed us to have long hard look as governors at the capability of the deputy head, when they had to operate on their own.
However when the school moves to appoint a full time head teacher, best practice would certainly say that the GB should advertise the role.

Ok, thank you. This is interesting. I think I need to clarify that they are doing what admission describes above and just confirm that this is not set in stone and they will advertise properly. Thank you all for your input. It is a primary, but far from rural. Challenge is around housing costs. I will write to CoG.

Yep, agree with admission
Without a doubt the most important thing a Governing body does is the appointment of a new Head.