Performance issues with Head Teacher

[EloiseMinch]

At DC's primary the Head Teacher is all but absent. I am not sure we have physically seen her this school year and all problems are referred to the deputy head. DD is in year 4 and this almost complete absence has been going on since DD started.

We have been trying over the course of the year to escalate bullying problems involving DS - the problems are still ongoing and we are unable to get an appointment to discuss the issues with the Head. This is a problem for other parents who have other concerns about the school (eg staff turnover, resourcing, teaching standards etc).

We're going to write to the governors to set out our concerns - and try and arrange a meeting with them. Does anyone know what performance standards a head teacher has - or how we can find them out? We'd like to make some concrete suggestions about how the head should be performance managed.

I think you need to separate the issues.

If the Head isn't around then hopefully the governors are aware (or at least they should be!) but without knowing where the Head is and what the reasons are, you can't really judge in terms of the Head's performance management. Please take this the right way but it won't be well-received if you make suggestions about the Head's appraisal! If you are concerned about the Head's absence then you could ask that but only really in a "we wondered if the Head is going to be around more next year as it seems to be causing leadership shortages etc".

Escalating bullying problems - if the Head isn't around then the Deputy should be able to stand in and meet you. If that isn't working either because the Deputy is too busy or says he/she needs to wait for the Head - and that goes on for more than a few days - then perhaps you could mention to the govs that you are concerned that issues aren't being dealt with while the Head isn't around.

I don't think you should waste your efforts trying to find out the HT's latest performance management objectives. The governors who undertake the PM, along with the school's external advisor, will have a clear idea of the reasons for the HT's absence and will not communicate that to you.
You do of course have every right to voice your concerns about bullying and other failings - it seems as if you have plenty to worry about. Check out the school's complaints policy and follow their procedure to the letter, but bear in mind that at this time of the year, unless you get an immediate resolution, it's not likely anything will happen before September.

It's not so much that the Head is actually absent, it's more that she does everything she can to avoid seeing parents. I think she is mostly hidden in her office.

I wonder if you can clarify by what you mean as "absent". Are they away from school because of a health problem? Or are they doing a training a course? Or are they also managing another school? Or are they just sitting in their office refusing to meet anyone? Are they the subject of a stand-off with the Governors and have flounced off? Or are they negotiating an exit?

Often schools do let parents know if the Head is going to away for a while because the DH will be the "acting" Head so you know that all queries are to go to them. What has been said, if anything? It is good practice to let parents know, and standard, to be honest if it is not contentious, eg capability, suspended etc. Illness of a Head is often not specifically disclosed, but parents are informed of planned longer term absences where the DH is stepping into the role. Parents are stakeholders. Heads and Governors are not a secret society that does not let others know what they reaonably should know.

I do think that if the Head is deemed to be "in school" then they should be visible and available to see parents. That is the hallmark of a good Head. However, you cannot force the Governors to agree with you over Performance Management. As mentioned above, Governors and their School Improvement Partner will set the targets and measure the performance of the Head against the agreed outcomes. The outcomes and targets may be very different to yours.

However, you are able to see a copy of the School's Improvement plan. This is a document attached to agendas and minutes of the Governing Body and, unless deemed Confidential and minuted as such, they are available to parents who are able to see all minutes, agendas and all documents referenced in them. (Although you might get a summary). This will clarify the performance objectives for the whole school and give a pretty clear steer as to what the Head is expected to achieve.

You can, of course, use the Complaints Procedure and I think you should do that about specific issues. If there is a vacancy on the GB, you can always join. Only a few (3) Governors set the performance objectives, but you would at least know what is going on at the school and review the policy on Communication with parents and become involved with monitoring the bullying policy. It can be a rewarding role to bring about change.

Sorry - I now see she is in her office. In that case, complain to the Governors with dates and attempts to see the Head. It is not acceptable for a Head not to see parents, especially a non teaching Head.

Sirring in her office refusing to meet any parents as far as anyone can tell.

Sitting...

If you want to complain to governors then you should follow the school’s complaints procedure. Your complaint would need to centre on the fact that you don’t think the leadership team are dealing with a bullying issue despite your best efforts to try and meet with the Head to raise your concern. Effectively you are making a complaint about the head and the process for this will be detailed in the complaints procedure.

You can't wade in and expect to comment on someone's performance management (TA, teacher or head).

You can (and absolutely should) raise concerns through the appropriate channels and escalate it when required.

Meet with the deputy, outline the situation, agree actions by the school, follow up with an email to confirm agreements. Then agree a review meeting. Formalising things can help and it gives you a paper trail.

Always go into the meetings thinking 'what specific outcome do i want?' E.g. Is it to be sat nowhere near each other, never in groups and closely monitored at play time?

Then refer to the head. Then after that follow the complaints procedure.

Good luck.

"You can't wade in and expect to comment on someone's performance management (TA, teacher or head). "

If lots of parents are really upset about a head who refuses to talk to them and is never seen around, there should be some way for this to addressed. I have no idea if the governors even know about the problem even though it has gone for years now.

The way to address this has to be through the complaints procedure. You need to raise a formal written complaint about the fact that you have concerns over bullying and that it has proved impossible to get an appointment with the head teacher. However before you do that you need to have evidence that you have been asking in writing for a meeting. If it has not been in writing and just though calls to the office etc then I will guarantee you that the response will be we did not think it was an issue etc, of course you can have a meeting with the head.
Send an email, preferably to the head's email asking for a meeting over bullying in the school within the next 5 school days. When there is no response you have your example for any investigation.
Having said that the governors may or may not be aware of the "invisible" head teacher but either way, having raised it you will not get to know any action that takes place, unless the head is suddenly at the front door every morning, when you may surmise that your complaint was acted upon.

We'd like to make some concrete suggestions about how the head should be performance managed.

Hilarious.

You can make your comments through the appropriate channels, including escalating to the governors. They may ignore them. Performance management isn't up to you - you aren't the head's boss.

If lots of parents are really upset about a head who refuses to talk to them and is never seen around, there should be some way for this to addressed. I have no idea if the governors even know about the problem even though it has gone for years now.

It does all depend what the parents have an issue with. A head not being around for parental meetings and having people in the school who do the bulk of them isn't that unusual (or automatically problematic). If people are annoyed things are going to other members of SLT but they want the head then that would be unfair. I only say that as it always astounds me how often MN advice to people is 'report to the head/ get a meeting with the head / if the head won't meet then complain to the governors'.

If there are situations where the head isn't doing what they should and people have dealt with it in the correct manner then there's a complaints procedure for that.
Then parents need to take their issue, aim to address it through appropriate channels in school, escalate as required and then follow the complaints procedure if there is no resolution.

What there isn't a procedure for is 'a few vocal parents are annoyed by some things, which they may or may not have dealt with appropriately, but they have spent a reasonable amount if time speculating about the head's performance management. Now they feel they want a way to complain generally about the head because they're not happy about anything from bullying and SEND needs to a child being kept in at break for talking and how waiting 60 seconds to go to the loo is breaking human rights'

If lots of parents are really upset about a head who refuses to talk to them and is never seen around, there should be some way for this to addressed.

There is- move school.

I just can't grasp why some people think they have a right to be listened on every opinion they have.

I should have mentioned the head is also the only person in the school who refuses to give their email address out. So there is no way to write to her directly except to hand a letter in to the school office.

is it possible that the governors want the head to be in the office managing administration, budgeting, updating manuals, catching up on staff appraisals, aspects that may be necessary for future school evaluations?

And we wonder why schools cant get Heads!

It is none of your business why the head is absent.

If you have a complaint then follow the school complaint policy which is published on the school website. There will be a contact email for the school on the website and a name person. You don't need the HTs email.

I assume that as you went to school you are an expert in education. I once watched an episode of casualty and so I think that I should be able to contribute to the performance management of my cardiologist. I wonder how reasonable that is?

Usually an email to the school office addrssed specifically to the Head is forwarded to the Head. Writing isn’t a bad idea. Keep a copy of what you write.

I think few state primary Heads are invisible and do not have meetings with parents. I’ve never seen one recently but the useless Head of our Junior school had this trait. A good Head must build relationships with stakeholders and foremost of these are parents. A Head cannot possibly be doing that if she won’t meet them. It is not acceptable for everything to be delegated to the DH. The Head is running the school, not the DH.

I have been a governor of two primary schools and both the exceptional Heads greeted children regularly, got to know parents and children and were visible around school during the day. They would see any parent about any matter. The last one I worked with held termly meetings for parents to review what could be improved. It was collaborative and useful.

I do think the Governors need to consider how the school interacts with parents because Parent View might start to reflect this unrest. That would be counter productive for them when Ofsted appear so they need a strategy to improve this area of school leadership.

I should have mentioned the head is also the only person in the school who refuses to give their email address out.
And...
Maybe they are setting the tone to their staff that they do not expect staff to be endlessly picking up emails from parents.
We don't give out staff email addresses to parents as a school. Obviously sometimea we'll opt to give it out to a parent but there's no expectation of parents having direct email to staff.
So there is no way to write to her directly except to hand a letter in to the school office
Again, your point is? Call the school and leave a message or hand a note in.

Or are you of the view that parents should be able to fill the head's email inbox with whatever (and then probably still bitch in thr playground that the head hasn't replied to you within 24 hours because they are busy running a school )

It's very easy to fire an email off, especially if you're irritated. It's why I never email parents of I have a concern about their child or wish to chat about behaviour issues. If it's not important enough for me to take the time to call them then it's not important enough to quickly send an email.

I'm starting to feel sorry for the head.

so they need a strategy to improve this area of school leadership

Says who? The opinion of 1 poster who thinks that she should be the line manager of the Head?

I should have mentioned the head is also the only person in the school who refuses to give their email address out.

What a great example. All schools should have a central email address and not use individual addresses.

Some parents email at 11 pm at night and then blast off another at 10 am complaining that they haven't had a response. Teaching is a face to face job with very limited admin time, the admin team should be fielding most emails. Those that need to be passed to a teacher or the head will be.

Same chicken.
At one former school parents would email at 9pm asking for help with their child's homework, then when no reply was given they'd send another at 11pm explaining why their child won't have their homework and how they won't be doing a detention as 'you couldn't be bothered to give them help'.

Many schools have a central email address.

However from what the poster has said, and I believe her, she and other parents are having difficulty seeing the Head. She’s not available for meetings and is not visible around school. This is not the hallmark of a great head. It needs to be addressed. Says me. Parents/Head relationships are vital and Governors should recognise this.

We cannot assume all posters are making things up. I realise the op didn’t understand the performance appraisal of the Head, but I’ve given her a good steer on how to find out what the school thinks are their priorities. These will be priorities for the Head too. No school will be truly successful if the Head won’t speak to parents and can confidently put them in their place from time to time!

Thanks all. Very interesting to see the non-parent perspective.

Yes, the problem is that the head makes it very difficult for any parent to see her. Meanwhile there are problems in the school that are very worrying for the parents and the head can't be contacted about them. She has done this for years but it seems to be getting more and more difficult.

I do personally feel that it is right for parents to tell the governors about serious concerns with a head. However I do also see that if you start from the point of the view that heads are professionals and parents and whingeing and unreasonable then it all looks very different.

... and parents are whingeing and unreasonable