New Head of department

[Jobhunterteacher]

In September I start my new role at a new school as Hod. Four members of the team including a a advanced skills teacher. Large numbers of students take the subject for an option six classes in 10 and 11. What are your tips and things to remember?? How would you prepare? Thanks

Watch for a while before you leap.
Do not say "in my last school".
Have an open door policy for all your colleagues.
Find a colleague to seek informal advice from.
Ask questions.
Make the break time brews.

Yes, give yourself some time to work out the state of play when you get there. Don’t charge in, all guns blazing. Try to be positive and give your staff some praise occasionally when they do a good job. I have a new hod who pretty much only speaks to me to point out what I’m doing wrong. I’m starting to get nervous when I see her.
Congratulations on your new post!

Firstly, congratulations 🎊

I really enjoy being a HoD (most of the time haha).

Initially, observe and find your feet. Look carefully at what works well and what could be improved.
Then decide on what to prioritise first - remember, you can't do everything all at once. Better to do one or two things really well and get those embedded, than try to do many things superficially.

Spend time getting to know your team - as teachers but also as people - what ambitions do they have, what caring responsibilities do they have out of school etc. This will help you to support them.

Definitely agree with praising your team when something has gone well, they've worked hard through a tough week etc.

Stay organised- it's a hugely busy job - I'm a list person and I add deadline dates to it which are highlighted so I can quickly see what I need to do first.

There will be points where you feel swamped and overwhelmed- at these times, prioritise carefully - what absolutely has to be done, what can be delegated, what can wait?

Try to find a friend in another HoD in school- it helps to have someone in the same boat to vent with and ask advice of/bounce ideas off.

Most of all - remember to keep enjoying the classroom teaching. I love being with the kids in the classroom and even on the hardest days, it is still my favourite part of the job.

Good luck!

Meet with key members of staff - SLT, fellow HoD colleagues, pastoral/admin teams.

Organise a full departmental meeting on the InSET day in September if you have one or after school in the first week. Bring refreshments - they’ll go down well.

Listen to your team - what has worked, what hasn’t worked, what they think needs to change.

Make observations before you make any changes.

Congratulations on your new role. The first few days in September are also tough starting in a new school but as HOD they are extra challenging as you are leading staff that have already worked in the school. Don't be afraid to ask your department for advice on the small questions. How do I do this? Where can I find that?

I agree with PP about finding another HOD friend as it is useful to bounce ideas off but also have someone to vent to if needed (we all needed it this week when timetables were shared with us - a mess again!).

As others have suggested observe first and find out what is going on well, what needs improvement. However, I would go into that first department meeting on the inset days and ask the department for their WWW and EBI for the department. Perhaps they add ideas on post it notes so that it is all anonymous - one colour for WWW and and another for EBI.

Also, get to know your department in the first half term. What are their strengths, weaknesses and plans for the future? Consider how you could delegate tasks to support with their future career plans.

Good luck