Importance of Headteacher

[Londonlady84]

My son has got into our first choice primary school which we were ecstatic about. I've just discovered that the head of 9 years left last week.

How instrumental is the head in how good the school is. We moved house (a long way) to be near to this school and it's an exceptionally good school with results in the top 10 nationally for primary schools.

However, I'm now worried that it was the head that made this school what it is today and what that means going forwards. Will standards drop? Will they find a head of equal calibre as it's in a small village? Will all the teachers now leave? 😰

There is an almost inevitable turnover of staff when a new Headteacher starts. It's often nothing to do with the new headteacher themselves, but some staff just see it as an opportunity for a fresh start themselves.

The headteacher is absolutely key to a school. All you can do is trust the fact that the governing body and Local Authority showed good judgement when they appointed the previous head, so they obviously know what they are looking for.

Yep I would say Heads are the leading light so to speak. If they have moved to another school you usually find other teachers follow or when the new head starts they want to make their own mark

Yes head teachers have a huge impact on a school, especially in small village primary’s.
However if the school is as outstanding as you mention I would have though they would attract a good range of candidates for replacement.

Yes, heads have an influence, but you have no reason to believe that the next headteacher won't do a good job.

The headteacher is absolutely key to how good the school is. However - a change is not necessarily a bad thing. Our brilliant head retired when ds was in y1, and was replaced by someone coming into their first headship. Very different outlooks, and there was a period of adjustment for sure, but the school is going from strength to strength under the new head's leadership.

There’ll likely be an ofsted in the next couple years - they check on new heads & that the school is maintaining its standards.

We’ve recently moved but our old catchment had an outstanding, highly regarded school with a head who had been there since I went to that school 25 years ago 😱 she retired in 2017 & the school has retained its high grades and rep. The old head was heavily involved in finding the replacement as the school was very much her baby after 30+ years! Hopefully something similar?!

Sometimes good candidates dont want to go to a school that's already outstanding. It can actually weaken the applicant pool.

This is my worry....it's hard for a headteacher to make their mark on a school that's already so well regarded 😬

I honestly can't believe this is happening 🤦🏼‍♀️

@holmeh I really hope this turns out to be the case. I'm guessing she's now moved on to turn around another school.

The school joined a multi academy trust a couple of years back and I wonder if that's promotes her decision to leave. There's now a whole senior management team that sit above the headteachers (e.g. a CEO, COO etc).

The other schools in the trust are not a patch on this one 😬

Then the Trust will have been involved in appointing the new Head, not the LA.

@Interviewedundercaution

Then the Trust will have been involved in appointing the new Head, not the LA.

Do you think this could be a good or bad thing??

Before the previous head came in, it was a very average/below average school so she's clearly done an incredible job.

My husband tells me I need to chill out, but our whole move was based around this school.

You can’t really rely on a head or other teacher staying there when you make an application. Things happen all the time - retirement, maternity leaves, illness, promotion etc at any point in the academic year.
The best you can do is just focus on what you like about the school other than the staff and if you still think it’s the best for your child and they will be happy there then that’s the most you can ever do really.

Depends on the Trust.

And you never know what staff think of new heads. The Lea/trust could appoint the best qualified head ever and even then the other staff may not gel with them. Try not to worry - what will be will be and as long as your child is happy and has friends the rest will work out in the end

@Interviewedundercaution

Sometimes good candidates dont want to go to a school that's already outstanding. It can actually weaken the applicant pool.

I agree (as a governor who has gone through the process before and spoken to many HT candidates).

A head can make or break a school as others have said.

However, so do the children and parents. If the school is really that good others who have a similar ethos for their children will have done the same as you and the class will likely be full of ‘pushy’ (for want of a better word) parents who want the best for their children. I don’t mean this in a bad way against you at all, we’ve bought a house close to a school for a similar reason and I’d be equally worried if there was a big change looming.

If it’s a MAT the head’s powers are actually pretty limited.

@RachelSq

A head can make or break a school as others have said.

However, so do the children and parents. If the school is really that good others who have a similar ethos for their children will have done the same as you and the class will likely be full of ‘pushy’ (for want of a better word) parents who want the best for their children. I don’t mean this in a bad way against you at all, we’ve bought a house close to a school for a similar reason and I’d be equally worried if there was a big change looming.

Ah I really hope so.

The head is absolutely pivotal. I say this having experienced two schools with new heads who obviously weren’t gelling with all the staff, and one school where the head is well established and amazing. Walking into the school you can feel the impact of good leadership. Staff happy, kids happy

@Adirondack

The head is absolutely pivotal. I say this having experienced two schools with new heads who obviously weren’t gelling with all the staff, and one school where the head is well established and amazing. Walking into the school you can feel the impact of good leadership. Staff happy, kids happy

Thank you. I guess I just have to hope that the replacement is great too.

Our HT she’s quite quiet and I would even go so far as saying unassuming. She has a very cliquey SLT that was there before she started and teachers that have been there for years. A number that are parent teachers - I just think she had no hope before she started. She needs a whole new SLT. The school rides on the back of being in an affluent area.

We chose our first child’s school in part because the head was excellent (as in warm, sensible, inclusive and had a good team of staff, I don’t give a monkeys about ofsted). They retired within a year. It was inevitable they’d not stay the whole of the decade we’d have our children there - they were in their late fifties and had been at the school in one capacity or another for a couple of decades. Nonetheless I was a bit gutted. Their replacement is very good and has brought some good new ideas. I was quite worried but new head has really grown on me and I’m very very impressed by how they’ve handled this last year. I suspect old head wouldn’t have done half as well with the covid crisis. Most of the staff have remained and the few new staff have been great. The ethos of the school remains broadly as it was, with some fresh ideas bolted on. It worked out completely fine. Give it a chance.

@Carrotstickandcheese

We chose our first child’s school in part because the head was excellent (as in warm, sensible, inclusive and had a good team of staff, I don’t give a monkeys about ofsted). They retired within a year. It was inevitable they’d not stay the whole of the decade we’d have our children there - they were in their late fifties and had been at the school in one capacity or another for a couple of decades. Nonetheless I was a bit gutted. Their replacement is very good and has brought some good new ideas. I was quite worried but new head has really grown on me and I’m very very impressed by how they’ve handled this last year. I suspect old head wouldn’t have done half as well with the covid crisis. Most of the staff have remained and the few new staff have been great. The ethos of the school remains broadly as it was, with some fresh ideas bolted on. It worked out completely fine. Give it a chance.

This is really nice to hear.

The reality is there's not a lot I can do anyway. The alternatives aren't great, so he will be going there unless we move house again 😂

"our whole move was based around this school*

I get where you're coming from but somethings are out of your control .. DS2 had 8 teachers in his first year at school. And we moved for this school (or rather because it had an after school club )

The tops results will mostly be reflecting the school’s intake.