Landing a headship is not something that comes easily. The application and interview process are rigorous but if you’re the right fit, you have what it takes and you’re well prepared, then there’s no need to worry.
To help you land the big job, Tes has spoken to some successful headteachers to get some inside information.
The application
Every job starts with the application form, and the headteacher position is no different to any other job in the school in that respect. However, you can expect it to be a more lengthy and detailed application form than any other teaching job you have applied for.
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Take a visit to the school, and go more than once if you can. If taking up the post will mean a move for the whole family, then try and visit on a weekend. Drive the commute. Look at the housing market.
Once you embark upon the application process you will find it harder to hold an objective opinion, so make sure it is what you want before you start to apply.
When you complete the application form ensure you are still matching back to the person specification provided by the school, it can be too easy to think you've made your letter too long, but it won't impress anyone if it looks as if you've only skim read the supporting documents.
Don’t ever...
Apply based on reputation. You have to do your homework. Rob Jones, headteacher of Rendcomb College advises that you begin your research well before you even touch the application form.
“Find out what makes a school tick by reading the paperwork they provide, and then anything that you can find online,” Jones suggests.
“Look up the governors and find out all you can about them – these people will be your employers, so understanding what makes them tick is important, and will help you to decide if your beliefs align.”
The assembly
Most interviews ask you to do an assembly for the school, and these can be tricky to pitch correctly. You may be asked to take just part of the assembly, or to take a whole year assembly, rather than a whole school.
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Remember to smile. The assembly should be a chance for you to show your potential future employers who you are in your headteacher persona. Angela O'Brien, primary director of a MAT in the East Midlands, recommends you focus on how you present yourself to the children.
"The important thing to remember is to focus on your delivery, your presence, and being memorable,” says O’Brien. “Always smile, and make eye contact with as many people as possible."
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Overcomplicate things. On stage your mistakes will seem amplified due to the size of the audience, so reduce the number of things that can go wrong by making it about you, rather than the video, music, or presentation.
O'Brien warns, "the assembly is also a hard one, because of the potential of a technology malfunction. Don’t over rely on ICT, or make it interactive."
The presentation
Typically, the headteacher interview will include a presentation to the governors where you outline your vision for the school. Sometimes they will ask for something specific, such as 'Your plan for your first 100 days as headteacher' or it could be more broad, such as 'Where will you take the school next?'.
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Cut out any unnecessary waffle. Only keep what is absolutely “solid gold,” advises Chris Hildrew, Headteacher of Churchill Academy in North Somerset. “It's better to say less and finish, than cram loads in and rush.”
O'Brien also recommends avoiding cliches in order to stand out. "If you are the third person to present, and you roll out a PowerPoint saying the same generic words, you will only blend into the group. Always link to your key areas of work - and remember to show your personality."
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Think that it will go as planned. Assume the worst. Assume the technology won’t work. Assume your notes will be locked in the car. Assume the room will catch fire.
The worst case scenario might end up being your best case scenario, so be ready. Make sure you know it well enough to keep going, despite what is thrown at you.
Hildrew remembers when his presentation was accompanied by a natural phenomenon; the solar eclipse.
“As I was presenting, the sun was slowly blotted from the sky as darkness descended across the land,” he says. “It's lucky I don't believe in omens.”
The best way to cope with any unforeseen disaster is to be confident with your presentation. O'Brien says you must "practice, practice, practice so you are not looking at notes or the screen. It needs to come from the heart and not a rehearsed script."
The in-tray activity
This is a typical interview task that you would probably have completed in previous interviews for senior roles. You are given a list of tasks that have arrived in your 'in-tray', and asked to rank them in order of importance.
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Think clearly by asking yourself: does this endanger student safety? O'Brien recommends that you consider safeguarding concerns with each and every item. "This task is always about common sense and ensuring pupils safety is a priority," she says.
Once you have that sorted, then look to the rest of the items. Remember, this task is all about leading rather than doing. "Ensure you think about where you can delegate tasks to others too," O'Brien explains.
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Leave out the 'why' when giving your answers. The in-tray task can appear quite innocuous, but in reality it is a good opportunity to showcase your experience in handling the task management side of the role.
O'Brien suggests that you use this exercise as a chance to demonstrate how well you understand the systems in schools. "Explaining your answer can give more clarity to your thought process, and it is an opportunity to share your knowledge around processes," she says.
The data task
This part of the interview will involve you analysing data generated by the school. As well as analysing the data, you will write a report of recommendations based on your findings.
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Are familiar with the crucial paperwork. Make sure you know all about the layout of an Ofsted Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR). These can be lengthy documents, and if you know where the key pages are, then you'll save time during the task.
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Lose sight of the consequences of whatever changes you recommend. O'Brien suggests that you prepare by brushing up on your report writing.
"Practise writing in an evaluative way, with the focus on the 'so what'. Remember to think about what questions or actions could be generated by your suggestions. You can think through some of these before the interview."
The interview
The school governors will always be on the panel for a headteacher interview, and potentially other senior leaders, or stakeholders in the school.
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Make the most of online networks. Check blogs for interview questions, and headteachers who have shared their experiences of the interview. Ask someone to sit with you and rehearse your answers until you feel confident you’ve covered all possible eventualities.
Don’t ever…
Forget about the positives. Hildrew warns against adopting a “deficit model” when explaining your plans for the school. Of course you have researched the context, and will be well versed on what the school needs to do to improve, but forgetting the positives can make you seem overly critical.
The lesson observation
Rather than teach a lesson, you will be asked to observe a teacher deliver a lesson, and then give him or her feedback afterwards. You will be observed by a member of the interview panel in the classroom observing the teacher, and during your feedback.
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Take notice, as well as notes. Unless you're applying for a post at your own school, this lesson observation will be with a teacher you have not met before, and with a class who you are totally unfamiliar with.
Although it is important to write down your observations, you will need to be much more attentive than usual. "Make some notes but don’t take all the time doing this, engage in questions with as many pupils as you can and take a look at the written work too," suggests O'Brien.
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Waffle through your answer. It can be very difficult giving feedback to a teacher who you haven't met before, and who you could possibly be managing in the near future. Therefore, keep your feedback simple, explicit, and to the point.
Remember, as much as the day is about you, this teacher has given up their time to be part of the interview process for you. "Thank the teacher you have observed for letting you be part of the lesson; be a human, not a machine," she says.
The evenings between the interview days
A headteacher interview can span two to three days, sometimes cutting unsuccessful candidates at the end of each day.
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Keep things normal. The interview days themselves will be long and hard going, and your friends and family will probably be as worried and nervous as you are.
It is important that you keep things as normal as possible. Spend time with your family, go for a run, read a book; focus on something other than the interview.
Don’t ever…
Think you need to keep cramming. Staying up late to work and burning yourself out is only going to hamper your performance. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to read over notes, and then put them down.
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