Please help - failing HoD interviews!

[enyemaka]

I've been looking for a HoD position for a core subject for two years. I've was offered a job but turned it down in the first year (I know, I know!) as the head's attitude during the interview was horrific and had two further failed interviews. I'm a deputy subject lead (have been for five years now, going on six) and have a wider school TLR as well (and given whole staff training etc). I've been told twice now that I don't have enough leadership experience. What more should I have for a HoD position? I really, really want to leave my school but this feels like limited feedback. Can anyone help?

I got into HoD through maternity cover initially - could that be possible for you? It would be a bit of a risk to leave just for a mat cover but it would be likely to then allow you to get another HoD job pretty easily.
Sounds like BS that you don't have enough leadership experience if you're a deputy subject lead with a TLR. They probably just wanted the other candidate in those particular cases, you sound well qualified. I have one or two friends that did the NPQML which could help you. But all others through either just staying put in their school and the job becoming available there, or like me through a maternity cover job.

I am also a deputy core subject lead, although I have never been HoD.

When I went for my current promotion, a friend who is a retired head did some interview practice with me and one thing he picked up on was that I was saying what I had done but often wasn't talking about the impact of those actions. Very easily solved but would have been an issue in interviews.

Do you have a friend/colleague on SLT who could do some mock interview practice with you? Just to make sure you aren't inadvertently not mentioning something.

Keep going it’s hard to get these jobs. You are getting to interview so that’s good. Don’t talk too much about what you have done rather a paint a picture of what you will do and the impact you will have in 6 months .... 1 year ..... 5 years.

Impact sounds like it might be key... not sure I’ve talked about that enough. Thank you!