If you're a head teacher, would you hire someone to the post of DHT if their current post was 2.5 days a week?

[JerryGarcia]

I've been teaching for ten years. Last Sept I started working part time but I'm starting the NPQSL in October and I'd like to find a DHT post after I complete it in 2 years, at which point my two little children will be in school and I'd be looking to work full time again. Someone made a comment that I'd have to work full time again or I wouldn't be hired as DHT. Is this true?

To be clear, she said I'd have to work full time before applying to DHT jobs.

I wouldn't want a (to that extent) part-time DHT but I wouldn't overlook you if you had the skills, were currently part-time and committed to being full time (or at least 0.8)

Honestly, I think it's unlikely you'd be hired PT. I've been a teacher 20 years and I know in my school, for example, promotion is very competitive. Just depends on your competition. If you have 2 strong FT competitors then no chance.

Thanks for your replies. Just to clarify, I'd want to work full time as a deputy head it's just that I'd be applying from a part time class teacher position. My friend is saying I wouldn't be considered for a full time DHT while I still work pt as a class teacher. She said I'd have to get a ft class teacher post and then apply for a ft dht post.

I think you'd ideally need to be in a leadership role when you apply to be a DHT. Most, but not all, leadership roles are full time.

No reason why you can't apply though!

Having been there done that a little, my other caution would be that you might want to try out full time without taking on deputy as well first, as it’s a whole other ball game with young children etc. I thought I was ready to up my hours when my youngest started school but actually that was a mistake - I needed to wait till they were a couple of years in for it to work for us as a family as a whole.

I assume you have some previous leadership experience too? It would be pretty unusual to go from ‘just’ classroom teacher to deputy - I’d expect some core subject leadership + SLT experience in one capacity or another.

I’m a PT deputy btw (0.8) & got it from a PT (0.6) position though in the same school which obviously made a difference. So it definitely can be done!

It's a huge step up from pt classroom teacher to ft deputy. I would suggest getting back into the classroom ft with a middle leader role first.

Is there no step between class teacher and Depute? Seems a big jump!

Whilst going from a part time class teacher to a full time DHT can be done, I would strongly advise that you go full time first. Do you have any leadership responsibilities in school? Nowadays, schools have an AHT / Phase Leaders. I just think personally you’ll be jumping into the fire without that experience.