How long can a head be off sick?

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If a head goes on leave due to mental problems how does this work and how long are they entitled to take off? Can it be an indefinite amount of time?

Yes - if they're sick then they're sick, the same as every other employee in the country.

They'd have to do the standard return to work interviews when they're feeling better, again, just like everybody else.

I don’t know how it works as standard, so you are saying it can go on for years?

The reason I’m saying this is the head was terrible, they’ve taken an outstanding school and it’s now on special measures, I appreciate people will day it wasn’t necessarily the heads fault but for reasons I’m not going into unfortunately it 100% on this occasion was. Now that head has left due to mental issues and the school is in total limbo, she’s been off for 9 months now and the school is just starting to pick up again but there’s talks of her returning. A large number of parents at the school are now applying for other schools as they’ve had enough due to the uncertainty and don’t want to see the head run the school again. I have 2 young children at the school and don’t know what to do. I have another one starting soon and things are looking so dire... the teachers are also leaving left right and center it’s a disaster.

Ah I see - with context your post makes a lot more sense (I thought you were a begrudging teacher in all honesty!)

I'd definitely suggest all parents contact the school governors and make your concerns very well known (and maybe also Ofsted and the LEA). They'll obviously already be aware of the situation but parents raising concerns gives them more power in terms of the heads position at the school.

Maybe organise a meeting with the acting head and see what plans are in place to keep the school moving forward as it has been, once the head does return.

Thank you, no no bedrudging just very sad, it’s such a beautiful school and it’s such a shame this has happened, my daughters so happy there too which makes it harder to make a decision. There’s no spark at the school at all... one of those meetings has been held but unfortunately (and shockingly) only 6 parents turned up and the school was very defensive, it appears that the head governoress and the old head are extremely close and any questions the parents raised about her were shot down which makes things even more difficult.
I’ve suffered mental problems myself so I know how hard it is, but aside from that this woman truly has brought the school to its knees and has now left it falling apart. I just wish we knew what was going to happen, if she comes back everyone will leave.
I will try to organise getting some letters sent out as you say, the school etc need to know how bad this is getting.
If there’s anything else we can do to stop her coming back.. anything at all... please let me know.

Sorry, but it's not up to parents to determine a Head Teacher's career path. You not wanting her back is largely irrelevant; she is entitled to return to her role.
Your post is full of unsubstantiated hearsay and supposition, with few facts or absolutes.
the school etc need to know how bad this is getting. Bad in what way?
this woman truly has brought the school to its knees and has now left it falling apart How would you verify that? With facts?
if she comes back everyone will leave. How do you know "everyone's" plans? Or do you mean just the people on the playground you've been gossiping with? Sounds like a witch hunt to me.
And if other schools are full, "everyone" won't be able to leave!

such a shame this has happened What is "this?"

I believe the Teacher's salary package is similar to the NHS in which case - it's full pay for 6 months and then goes down to half pay for 6 months and then nothing thereafter, but they are still considered 'employed'. At any point the employee can apply for retirement on the grounds of ill health and the employer can also if, after consultation with Occ Health, it is felt the employee could not pick up their original role without further damage to their health. The employee can be re-assigned to a new role with agreement on both sides. These situations can go on for a long time and do leave the work environment in a state of flux.

Thank you DPotter that’s helpful.

OhDearGod, perhaps try finding something to have a fit about you actually understand. That was a pointless post.

I think I probably have a slightly better understanding of how schools work than you seem to have. I've been a teacher for over 30 years and I can tell you that a parent with an axe to grind "getting some letters sent out," is not going to have the effect you're hoping for.

I think the key to this post is perhaps that when a meeting was held only 6 parents turned up.

It suggests that very few parents have any concerns. It certainly doesn't suggest that everyone will leave.

There are only a couple of jobs I can think of where someone’s mental health and job performance can be scrutinised by so many stakeholders. Headteacher. Vicar/equivalent. It must be terrible to live and work in such a goldfish bowl.

How do you know why she is off sick?

Of course you can’t stop her from coming back. If she’s on sick leave then that is between her and her employer. How do you know why she is off sick? Has she shared the reason with parents? If someone else from the school has shared it without her permission then that is pretty shocking.
The Head may or may not have been doing a poor job before she went on sick leave but the two things are totally different issues.

And, the reason for her absence aside, it is NOT, thankfully, up to you and a few other disaffected parents, as to whether or not she is up to her job.

Mental problems, head governess...? Not language I'd choose.

I think you need to separate the people from the problem your child is experiencing, however much you feel they are entwined.

The problem is not that the head was rubbish when she was there, or that she is now off sick. The problem is that the school is currently not being run effectively. That's what you complain to the governors about, with specific examples of how this current poor leadership is impacting on your daughter.

There are multiple ways forward for the governors to consider. Removing the head is only one, and is rightly subject to laws on fair treatment. Other options might include changing the acting head, drafting in additional SLT to relieve pressure on the current struggling SLT, getting advice from leaders of more successful local schools etc etc. It's parents' role to report problems their children directly experience, not to tell the governors how to fix them.

What a nasty thread! A person is unwell. And you want them sacked?
You can’t know exactly what has happened in the school. You’re not staff. You don’t know why people are leaving. (Teachers find new jobs all the time.)

I think you've got to let the school administration do their jobs. A school in special measures can be stressful for all staff so I'm not surprised the head is struggling.

If you have concrete concerns and evidence regarding specific things then they should be raised formally through the appropriate channels.

If it's 'a group of parents have decided the head is responsible for ruining the school and we want her gone' then stay well away.

Just to say, teachers are leaving the profession en masse, even from schools in leafy suburbs with few behaviour issues. Lots of teachers leaving means nothing at all.

And one of the (many) reasons teachers are leaving is because of the actions of parents like the OP, who seems to be whipping up a witch hunt. Well done. Hope you sleep well at night.