Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary headteachers - what do they do all day?

34 replies

KBear · 18/11/2006 23:24

Are they snowed under with paper work and wrapped up in red tape? Anyone know one they can ask?

I'm intrigued as to why we never see the headteacher in the playground at going in or going home time.

I've been in school helping organise the Christmas fair two days a week for the past month and I've NEVER seen her. I hear the receptionist saying she's in meetings quite often but I just wondered what the job entails these days.

I know she takes assembly every day but do headteachers have much to do with teaching anymore?

What do they do all day?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
MrsSpoon · 18/11/2006 23:26

I think they do their nails and surf the net.

sorry not got a clue either but interested to find out too

hulababy · 18/11/2006 23:28

DD's headteacher is always around, in one of the playgrounds, at home time. She does some assemblies and does go round the school during the day, but I don't think she does any teaching.

KBear · 18/11/2006 23:29

I mention this in contrast to the headteacher of the junior school next door - he is in the playground every morning and parents and children can have a chat. He seem much more involved and DD says he's always popping in classes and joining in with them etc.

OP posts:
Miaou · 18/11/2006 23:30

England or Scotland, KBear?

Our headteacher is my dds' main teacher (but then they are in a very small school). I would guess he spends a day a week on admin etc, plus headteacher courses that they go on, about two or three per term. A bigger school will undoubtedly entail more meetings (but not significantly more paperwork).

lockets · 18/11/2006 23:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

nearlythree · 18/11/2006 23:32

Ours teaches.

unknownrebelbang · 18/11/2006 23:33

My lads' Headteacher is around most mornings and afternoons, unless he has meetings. He is snowed under with paperwork, but he still teaches. He also does playground duty too. When available, he runs an after-school sports club.

He takes loads of work home with him too.

nearlythree · 18/11/2006 23:33

And takes assembly. And helps at lunch time.

KBear · 18/11/2006 23:33

Miaou - our children's schools are about as far apart in distance and size as it's possible to get! I'm in SE London and you're way up there in the Highlands (swap you two bars of Orkney Fudge for a postcard of a London bus?).

There is a four class intake at DS's school - 460 children (just infants). It's massive.

OP posts:
Miaou · 18/11/2006 23:39

Ah . No comparison really then!!

JanH · 18/11/2006 23:53

Ours (the one my kids went to) plays golf, snaps at passing children, bosses the staff and shows off when any praise is in the offing

hulababy · 19/11/2006 10:48

Just remembered - DD's headteacher dressed up as Mrs Teddy Bear for her PP1 (reception) teddy bear's picnic in their second week at school. DD guessed it was here - as picnic was inher office, but headtecher still hasn't admitted it yet

roisin · 19/11/2006 14:42

Our HT does no regular class teaching, but occasionally fills in for a teacher who is absent. She is snowed-under with paperwork for all sorts of things, but much of which is vital for strategic planning, targetting and so on.

She regularly reviews teaching and learning by observing class teachers, chatting with small groups of children from each class about an area of the curriculum, looking at work in books, etc.

She is also one of the first ports of call for praise and discipline with children, and deals with them on a one-to-one basis. All children in the school (500) will be sent to see her at least once a term to show her a piece of good work.

She is also available for meeting with parents about all sorts of issues.

She also does some consultancy work across the country on various issues; co-chairs the local network of schools and meets regularly with HTs of other primaries; she is involved deciding the programme in the local group for G&T children.

What else? She attends virtually all assemblies (does at least two a week herself I think), attends all performances, productions, sports days, fun runs, school fetes, etc.; goes along to support school sports fixtures whenever possible; often goes along on school trips and almost always goes on the 3 residentials run by the school each year ...

Recently my school (secondary) had an awards evening for the leavers, and was there as well. She still regards the children who left her school 5 years ago as "her" children

She does performance management reviews with staff, oversees all the finances for the school, applies for funding for future projects, etc., etc.

I could actually go on, and on, and on ...

I can't quite work out how she can possibly fit it all in!

Celia2 · 19/11/2006 14:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hallgerda · 20/11/2006 07:54

Depending on where you live, quite a bit of the workload may involve talking to Social Services in addition to all the jobs roisin has listed.

DS2 and DS3's head teacher is always in the playground at going in and going home time.

catesmum · 23/11/2006 10:27

my mil is a head and she does all that...I also know that she works until about 10 every night at home (after getting home at 7). We've just been on holiday with them at half-term, and she worked every day then...in fact, I think she only gets one week off a year when she does no work at all....I definitely wouldn't do it!

Twiglett · 23/11/2006 10:30

In the last 2 weeks as a governor I have attended 2 meetings with Head ... one was from 6pm to 9.50pm and the other from 6pm to 7.45pm .. believe they work feckin' hard dealing with so many different issues your head would spin

clumsymum · 23/11/2006 10:42

Our HT is just like roisin's, she does all those things, plus is heavily involved with additional fundraising (important atm as all our laptops have been stolen AGAIN), she knows all the children in school by name, and when she is out and about the school (Always first thing in the morning, and often at breaktimes) she takes time to chat to the pupils. She knows a lot of the parents too, and certainly if a parent has seen her once about anything, she will remember who that parent is, and which children 'belong' to them, and always have a quick 'hello Mrs bloggins' for them.

When ds first started at the school I was afraid we might have one or two 'issues' with her. 2 years on, I'm a parent governor, and full of admiration for her.

The school isn't perfect, but I wouldn't want her job.

Gingerbear · 23/11/2006 10:48

Our head is always their in the mornings.
I think the rest of the day he has a lot of stuff to sort out with God.

(Catholic primary school)

throckenholt · 23/11/2006 10:48

ours is a small country school (about 100 kids in total). The head teacher is often around, knows all the kids by name - stops to have a chat now and again. She also teaches the kids sometimes (not sure how often).

She is great mates with DS1 (5).

She is great - she was one of the big reasons we chose that school over others in the area.

Gingerbear · 23/11/2006 10:48

THERE! (my grammar is getting worse)

CunningMaloryTowers · 23/11/2006 10:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mw14 · 23/11/2006 14:57

In light of the responses that show very few heads do any teaching, do MNers think that heads need to be qualified teachers at all?

CunningMaloryTowers · 23/11/2006 14:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mw14 · 23/11/2006 14:59

Even though they do not teach, and in fact manage the administration, finance etc of the school?

Swipe left for the next trending thread