Contact Us|Explore FileMaker

Latest News

Commercially Minded Head Teachers?

---

This is possibly one of those knee jerk reactions to fewer teachers applying for headships plus a push to schools being responsible for finding a bigger proportion of their funding themselves. This, I believe will be to the detriment of poorer catchment areas.

The increased role of governors means a head teacher has to spend considerable time writing or collecting reports for sub committees and governor meetings quite apart from the 'staff and pupil' element of his/her responsibility. Sub-committee meetings can be on a vast range of issues including buildings, facilities, finance, curriculum, health and safety, fundraising, school grounds, security etc. The paperwork is taking over from helping staff - both teaching and non-teaching - improve their skills. When schools were made responsible for their finances, they were promised Bursars, who could have shared this responsibility. This has only happened in secondary schools but should also happen in primary schools to alleviate some of the administrative burden."

"I would query what parents would want from their children's headteacher. I believe a person who has good people skills, able to know each child by name and, depending on size of the school, even know each child's strengths and weaknesses, leads a successful school. A commercial head may be able to fulfil much of these criteria but unless they have experience of teaching the relevant age I fear they will just focus on what the funders say, not the grass roots of a school - the teaching staff. Could the commercial head teacher take over and teach a class when a teacher is off and no supply can be found or the budget has run out?

If teaching was easy we would all be able to teach to a formula and in the same mould."

Enid Lamb
Retired Primary Head Teacher
Hedge End, Southampton