Why the head recruitment crisis? Could it be the Premiership manager syndrome - you sack the head for poor results - that has made the job so stressful? Many deputy heads have a stressed out boss as a role model, and so conclude, “Thanks, but no thanks.” A teacher on upper pay spine 3, with no responsibilities outside their own classroom, can earn more than Pounds 35,000 a year. For a few thousand pounds more, you can take on all those extra roles such as subject leader, supervision, assessment, and even have a temporary contract as well. No prizes for working out where the next “recruitment crisis” will manifest itself.

Richard Knights, Liverpool.