Being a school headteacher is a very varied role: leading assemblies, chairing staff meetings, interviewing potential new teachers, liaising with inspectors, speaking with parents, dealing with disciplinary matters, chatting with students and, of course, administrative tasks.

However, above all of these activities, my favourite by far is teaching students. Because, fundamentally, that is the reason why I chose this profession - especially to teach modern languages.

Of course, being a head is a big time commitment, perhaps even more so when you’re the founding head of a brand new school, as I am at Wetherby Pembridge in Olympia, West London.

Since the school’s opening, though, I have managed to find time to teach two classes - Year 7 Spanish and Year 9 French, equating to three hours per week.

Tips for teaching as a headteacher

It’s not been easy but it’s been utterly worthwhile - ensuring that I can “walk the walk” about the importance of delivering great teaching but also gain frontline insights into classroom life in our school. Here’s how I’ve made it work:

Timetabling

If you are going to teach as a headteacher, you have to be adamant about protecting that teaching time. I place huge importance on scheduling the lessons into my weekly timetable so they are shielded from other pull factors.

Get the timetable planned early and tied down in your diary so you can protect your lessons, and everything else will fit around them.

Balance

However, it is also vital that you are realistic in terms of how many hours you can really dedicate to teaching so that the amount of time you commit is manageable.

Students that you teach will end up getting a raw deal if you are constantly being pulled in other directions rather than properly planning and delivering the classes you are meant to be teaching.

Set boundaries and expectations

When teaching lessons, you wear a different hat, as a class teacher rather than a head.

It helps to be clear from the outset what your boundaries and expectations are and to communicate these to teachers within that department and to your students.

At the start of the first lesson, I specifically say: “For this hour I am not the headmaster, I am your Spanish/French teacher.” It’s important that this is made clear from the outset to create the right classroom dynamic, so you can develop a student-teacher, rather than a student-head, relationship.

By setting out this framework, you can remove preconceived barriers that students might have, so they see you in class as, first and foremost, their teacher.

Know your subject

Make sure you are teaching classes where you are familiar with the subject and syllabus. This will ensure you are prepared for lessons without having to spend hours on planning and pre-reading, because the reality is you don’t have the time.

I would also advise against teaching a course where you have to learn a whole new topic - unless that’s your idea of summer relaxation - and to avoid classes preparing for exams such as GCSEs or A levels, because the demand on your time is likely to be far greater in these crucial years.

Collaborate and question

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether that’s from your head of department or other teaching colleagues. They will undoubtedly have a huge amount of resources and experience and are invaluable when it comes to shared knowledge and best practice.

At the same time, you’ll be able to offer your own advice to other teachers who may have questions for you. Collaboration is key and sets a tone of shared academic endeavour.

It’s not always plain sailing

By keeping your foot in the classroom, you can more easily keep abreast of the different tools and technology that teachers are using on a daily basis - and it’s a reminder that things can wrong, too.

I remember a particular lesson where the IT I was using failed, which, while frustrating, was a humbling reminder that things go wrong. It can be good to reflect on this with fellow teachers, who may be having their own difficulties, to reassure them that it happens to us all and is just part of the job.

Keeping a foot in the classroom

Overall, even with these sorts of difficulties, I intend to keep teaching for as long as possible while working as headteacher.

For me, that classroom time is a wonderful moment when I am not looking at emails or managing the myriad other aspects of running a school, but I am engaged in the act of teaching - the reason why I became a teacher in the first place. That is, for me, the single most effective way to stay fresh and engaged in the profession.

Nick Page is founding headmaster of Wetherby Pembridge in West London

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