Job description and person specification: headteacher

Use our model job description and person specification to help you recruit for your next headteacher - it's based on the Headteachers' Standards 2020.

Last reviewed on 23 August 2021
School types: All · School phases: Primary
Ref: 4705
Contents
  1. Download our model job description
  2. See an example job description

Download our model job description

Use our model job description and person specification to recruit your next headteacher - it's suitable for both primary and secondary schools.

Adapt it to suit your school’s context, needs and priorities (for example, if you're part of a multi academy trust, you can add details about how you expect the headteacher to work with other schools in the trust). 

Our job description is based on the Headteachers' Standards 2020 - see our summary of the standards here.

See an example job description

Ealing Council’s headteacher/senior leader recruitment pack includes a sample headteacher job description and person specification (appendix D, page 27). Although the description is based on the old, 2015 National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers, the description sets out useful key responsibilities, including:

  • Ensuring inclusion, diversity and access
  • Creating an outward-facing school to work with other schools

More examples...

Because schools normally only post job descriptions when they're actively recruiting headteachers, your best option is to seek out active job listings at the point when you're recruiting yourself.

  • The DfE has a website devoted to teaching vacancies where you can narrow your search by role and by locations across the UK
  • Tes runs a jobs board that extends internationally
  • eTeach has a jobs board that allows you to search by type of school as well as by role and location

Sources

Jacqueline Baker is an education consultant who specialises in senior leadership recruitment. She supports schools through the recruitment process and helps them develop leadership capacity. Jacqueline also has experience as a chair of a governing body.

Please rate this article

Can't find what you need? Try searching or ask us a question.