Any Governors recruited a new Head?

[Seasider]

We're about to place the ad for our new Headteacher. We're a successful First School in a rural coastal area.
Anyone got any good tips on going through this important process?

Good luck to you. I work in a rural coastal area primary and my DH is a governor. Really struggling to fill the post even though it is a popular school with a great reputation. 3 applied and then 2 dropped out at shortlisting because the pay scale was too low. So it has been re-advertised and the current head retires in July.
So my advice would be offer as much money as possible!

Use all the advice available from your LEA. They have a dept to help you, and will give you a link person to liaise with. They tell you the timescales for each part of the process and can do the standard ads for TES etc.
The school's SIP should be able to help the governors' personnel commmittee set the Pay scale; but there isn't much leeway. Offer as much as you can.
Get a few local deputies who are not yet ready for headship to come to your school for practise interviews - this lets you hone your interviewing technique, and gives them valuable practice.

Thanks for your advice MNs. It galls me that we have to pay County for advice, esp as we have so little money in our school. And as for the cost of advertising. EEK!