To apply for acting deputy post or not. Anyone done it? Loved it? Regretted it?

[2kidsintow]

Background. Dept going on maternity after half term. School would like to fill the post internally.

We are a school on a split site, currently in the process of amalgamation, so the dept gets ppa plus a day and a half management time when the headteacher isn't on site. This is a bonus as I know that lots of schools don't give their depts much time out of class to do the dept duties.

I'm tempted to apply, but I don't know whether to. I'm part time and it would mean going full time (and putting my DDs into after school club on the days I currently pick them up from school.)

Plus, amalgamation brings its own issues, and we will be inspected not that long after we have become one school.

I've been told by previous headteachers that I work for that I'd be a good dept, and it sounds like an exciting opportunity.

I'm wondering if anyone else has done the job and regretted it, or loved it?

I loved being deputy head. The stress is completely different but it's a great job and if you're acting up you'll get a chance to "try before you buy". The one thing I would say though, is that you don't mention your own drivers - are you passionate about school improvement? Are you prepared to challenge colleagues if necessary to do what is best for the children? If so - and you are happy to make the changes with your own childcare and utterly committed to pushing a school forward then there is no job better.

I acted up as DH at my school twice and loved it. After my second acting up period (both times covering maternity leave for the Deputy) I was asked to be Assistant Head - a new post for our school. Love doing that too as it gives me a whole school view rather than just and Infant Department and SEN view. Go for it.