Year 1 headteachering

This time last year I was thinking about starting the academic year as an Acting Headteacher. Yes, there were nerves but at the same time I felt buffered by a new Executive Headteacher being around as top cover. I didn’t even need to do the traditional welcome back to staff or first assembly. 

Little did I know that within a matter of weeks I would be interviewing for the substantive headship and as the successful internal candidate was able to start with no delay. I had assumed that Acting headship would give me a year to find my feet but it wasn’t to be. 4 weeks, just 20 school days into the school year and the world felt like it was being turned upside down. 

Day 40 of the academic year and I was in day 1 of substantive headship. No Executive Headteacher to be on hand ( a few days a week until Christmas ) so for the first time in forever it felt like I was the adult expected to have the answers. 

If you read about those early days of headship there is often the idea of your first 100 days. Plenty of articles suggest using those 100 days to get to know your school. On paper and having read those articles it sounded luxurious to spend time studying your school. As an internal appointment in the middle of the autumn term it didn’t feel like I had much time to get to walk the school slowly. 

Building issues, HR items you don’t get training on as a teacher, budgets, planning, the hundreds of answers you are expected to have and the rapid decision making required of a headteacher require a calm mind. In just a few weeks I realised that exhaustion would occur if I didn’t start to slow down. I needed to follow the mantra of putting my own mask on first to be able to help others. 

Things started to get into a pattern and I started to realise that there were layers of support available. Local headteacher networks, multi-academy trust partners, social media networks and unions will always have someone who can help. So not knowing an answer straight away is not a problem. Finding time to consider the best option is more important. 

I like to learn from others and take time to look at what is happening around the world. Colleagues in China, Malaysia, Italy and Spain were sharing information about educating in lockdown. I started to spend as much time as I could following the International sector dealing with Covid-19. So by my day 100 I had to tell my team that school was closing, reopening in 2 days virtually and we would open in 2 days for childcare. 100 days for new headteachers teaches us many things.  

I learnt that speed reading government guidance, calmly writing long daily detailed letters to parents, daily staff bulletins meant finding a way of calmly disseminating information. The entire summer term of rotas and rapid reaction also showed me the flexibility required from those leading schools.  

So if you are stepping into the role of Head or Acting Headteacher in September the multi-faceted requirements can seem overwhelming, however there is a once in a lifetime bonus for the headteachers of 2020/21. Noone in current UK leadership roles has run a school in a pandemic. People can no longer say, When I was headteacher ..., therefore there is a liberating opportunity for new headteachers to feel that their opinion is equally as valid as experienced colleagues. We are all in this together so it is time to speak up and be counted. 

As I get ready for my first ever headteacher welcome I know I don't have all the answers. Working as a team we will be ready to welcome our students back. Whatever happens this academic year I'm excited for my second year in headship.