Headteacher

Typical Salary

£47,735 To £117,197

Typical Hours

35 to 37 term time

evenings attending events or appointments

How To Become a Headteacher

You can get into this job through:

working towards this role

College / University

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

You can become a headteacher after working as a teacher in a school. You'll also need several years' experience as a senior manager or deputy head.

You can take professional development training to help with this. For example, the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership and the National Professional Qualification for Headship.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
knowledge of English language
leadership skills
business management skills
the ability to work well with others
to be flexible and open to change
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
customer service skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

You may:

set the school’s values and strategic direction and communicate these to pupils, staff, parents, governors and the community
create and maintain a healthy and safe space for learning
decide staff priorities and delegate tasks
set high expectations of achievement for staff and pupils
keep to rules on equal opportunities
use data to track performance and produce reports
inform parents and pupils about progress
select, support, assess and develop staff
lead and attend meetings
control school finances
work with external advisers and school governors
work and attend meetings outside of usual working hours

Working Environment

You could work at a school.

Career Path & Progression

Due to the variety of schools in the UK, there are opportunities to move between different types and sizes of school.

You could also train to be an Ofsted inspector, an education adviser, or become a teacher training lecturer in a college or university.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Registration

you'll usually need qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in a state school in England

Further information

You can discover more about senior teaching careers from Ambition School Leadership and Get Into Teaching.

You can also search for jobs through the Teaching Vacancies service.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks