OUR local education authority has been very helpful with the whole daunting process of recruiting a new headteacher. They have, after all, done it before. Why should we try to draft our own personnel specification when they have a model based on the Department for Education and Skills’ national standards for headship?
Only it doesn’t mention working with governors. As we are the people making the appointment, I cannot help feeling that this is an oversight. Call me biased, but it is something I look for in all teaching applications. If a candidate has been a teacher-governor or served in any capacity at a school other than their own, I know they will understand how governing bodies work.
Headship candidates should also be aware of what an asset a well-informed governing body will be to them. Our own terrific deputy head is a governor at her village school and attends all our meetings as an observer - sometimes a very vocal one - and serves on committees. She is not applying for our headship, but I would strongly recommend her to any other school as completely house-trained.
So we have written it in - experience of working with governors, not as an essential, but high up on my personal list of desirables.
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