THE Government is dragging its feet over the plan for all new heads to hold a leadership qualification.

The Department for Education and Skills is to consult on proposals for the National Professional Qualification for Headship “shortly” and expects to introduce it “in due course”.

Originally, 2001 was to have been the last year a head could be appointed without holding the NPQH, already revamped once since being launched in 1998.

The disclosure comes as the 17th annual survey of senior staff appointments in England and Wales revealed that more than 2,600 schools tried to recruit a new head last year.

Research by recruitment analyst John Howson reveals that more schools failed to appoint a head or deputy in the 200001 academic year than previously while a record number deputy head posts were advertised.

A third of primaries and more than a quarter of secondaries failed to fill vacancies when they were first advertised. Around one in four schools was unable to recruit a deputy.

Church schools were less likely to make appointments after the first advert, raising serious questions for ministers about who will lead the new faith schools.

The Conference of Independent Catholic Schools warned that shortage of future leaders threatened their schools.

The Education Data Surveys research looked at adverts in The TES, and education sections of the Guardian, the Independent, The Times and the religious press.

Record numbers of adverts were placed during January, March, April and July last year. After an early autumn lull a further all-time high of 294 ads was recorded in November 2001.

There was a turnover of about 11 per cent of secondary heads while about 10 per cent of all maintained primary and nursery schools in England and Wales advertised for a new head.

Traditionally, London schools have the most difficulty in filling headships. In inner London just over half had to re-advertised, compared with nearly two-thirds in the previous year. In outer London, however, the re-advertisement reached 40 per cent for the first time.

Elsewhere in England, apart from the North-east and the South-east, the percentage of headships being re-advertised rose. However, the overall total for 2001 was 2 per cent below the 2000 total.

Professor Howson said: “It is to be hoped that after a difficult decade, teaching in general, and school leadership in particular, has finally turned the corner.”