Headteacher Shuffles

[good96]

The school I’m currently HT of (and have been for the last 17 years) joined a trust back in 2021 - this trust consists of 6 secondary schools and 4 primary schools in the local area.
The CEO of the trust retires this year (they took on the role 4 years ago to set up the trust and then always planned to move on)

Long story short - a new CEO has been appointed- a fellow headteacher. They have been a HT for 10 years and fairly experienced - I was asked to apply but didn’t as I am approaching retirement myself so saw no point. They have decided that they would like to re-shuffle HTs to ‘freshen up’ the schools. They want me to move to a school that is RI on the last ofsted - it is a school with very high staff turnover. The current HT has been on LTS since October 2023 and the Deputies have been running the school in the interim.
My question is - have you ever known this happen in other schools? Seems bizarre to be honest. I have been at my current school since 2003 and will retire in two years time in 2026. I don’t really want to spend the last two years of my career fighting fire in a shit heap of a school.

More bloody academy nonsense. Sounds like they want you to go and sort it out.
Who would run your current school? Are they just looking for an Exec HT on the cheap?

It doesn't sound like "Academy nonsense" to me.

It sounds like the new CEO values you and knows you could do a good job sorting out the RI school while a new or less experienced head could take on the one where you currently are, because it is already running smoothly.

From their point of view it's a very sensible request. You are a perfect person to take on the role. You know what a decent school looks like and what the RI one needs to improve, and you won't be staying long so you won't have to worry too much about building long-term relationships with colleagues who might not take kindly to the changes that are needed.

I can perfectly well see that you don't want to have a stressful couple of years in the run up to your retirement, but that's another matter and (I assume) your choice.

For me - I’ve been the Headteacher of my current school since 2007 and over the last 17 years I have changed the dynamic and it’s a complete different school to how it was back then.
It was never in special measures but it needed so much ‘change’ to drive overall performance.

I just wanted to carry this on for another couple of years until I retire. I will have a meeting with the new CEO to discuss this in more detail. They would need to recruit 2 Heads anyway. One for my school and one for the new CEO’s school.
The CEO initially wanted these changes to take effect from September 2024 but it will be a challenge to externally recruit if needed. There are a couple of Deputy candidates across the trust that could step up but its the case of backfill.

It is academy nonsense. A 're-shuffle to freshen up'. A professional CEO would approach a HT and explain that because of their strengths, it would be beneficial to the trust (and more importantly, to the children), if that experienced HT could move. They would then discuss the backfill and the incentives on offer to support the experienced HTs decision.
It sounds like this CEO has made it sound like a fun opportunity as opposed to a serious career choice with impact on both schools and the experienced head who will, of course, feel loyalty to their current school and a need to sustain their progress, therefore potentially being involved in 2 schools at the impact of their own wellbeing.

I have a gut feeling that I will be involved in both schools and juggling the demands which I don’t really want as if I do move then I want to focus on just the one school. That will take up so much of my time anyway.
My current Deputy is relatively new to their role (2 years) so not ready to step up just yet.

Are you not on a TUPEd contract for your specific school? Surely unless you're on a mobile academy contract you can't be moved?

I would take it as a compliment but can see it's a ball ache for you. An academy trust near us swapped HTs and it didn't work out. One left teaching and the other is having a tough time in a school that doesn't suit her approach and the parents are concerned. Could you bring retirement forward?

I’m 59 at the moment (will be 60 in December) and whilst I can technically retire earlier - I had planned to retire just before my 62nd Birthday in August 2026 as I wanted to top up my retirement pot. Plan to do a lot of travelling and want to do things with family.

The CEO clearly has a vision for the academy trust - and I can see why they want to move HTs. I am open for the discussion and yes I’m on a TUPED contract if the salary and benefits are right for me then it is something I would definitely consider.
I would make it clear that I’ll be there till the end of the summer term of 2026 and then I will move on - there will be no 5 year plan but instead a 2 year ‘turnaround plan’

Completely off the topic of your thread here, though i really feel for you and agree tis MAT bullshit.
You do know you just lose your pension for the 2 years after you are sixty ( as you are clearly on the old scheme) andwhat little extra you add to it will not cover the lost 2 years. Sorry, turning into a TPS bore

@JaffavsCookie I was going to say the exact same thing. You won't gain much by working another 2 years. Nothing will be added to your Final Salary pension as that's now frozen up to 2015, it will go into career average.

The Facebook group - Teachers to Teachers will advise you further.

It isn’t really about the pension. I save money from my salary now to put into my pot.

I had a meeting with the new CEO today about the proposed changes and having had a few days to think about it, I have decided to agree to the transfer to the school in SM. The incentive package an offer was worth it.

The CEO has advertised the 2 x Headteacher posts internally to initially be a 12 month acting role with the view to become permanent - hopefully get them in place by September and then just have to backfill the Deputy roles with hopefully January starts!

You could still take your pension and carry on as a HT