Then, after a better interim report, the head falls ill, the development plan is sliding back and the next inspection looms. The deputy head accepts a job in another school.

You are posted in as head. Could you even survive?

In the current online newsletter of the Canterbury Action Research Network, Jacquie Dabnor, of the Centre for Education Leadership and School Improvement at Canterbury Christ Church University College, describes three emergency rescues that she undertook.

She has some thoughts and some advice: be pleasant and approachable but stay detached; draw up a weekly action plan for yourself; share it with the staff if necessary and keep them informed; keep children’s events going but be prepared to ditch the staff and PTA social events; praise everything good, ignore the mediocre and do not expect to be loved the way you were in the successful school.

The leadership-themed spring edition of the newsletter, the Enquirer, can be retrieved from: http:www.cant.ac.ukdeptsacadteachedcantarnetenquirerMarch02.doc

The action research network network itself has a home page at: http:www.cant.ac.ukdeptsacadteachedcantarnet

The Enquirer’s full back catalogue is available from: http:www.cant.ac.ukdeptsacadteachedcantarnetenquirer.htm

Readers can email suggestions on future Internet Insights to Sam Saunders at J.P.Saunders@leeds.ac.uk