Appointing headteachers and deputy headteachers
The governing board has legal responsibility for selecting a headteacher, according to section 2.2.1 of the headteacher recruitment guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).
Your board can't delegate responsibility for the establishment of a headteacher or deputy headteacher selection panel, or the approval or appointment of the panel’s recommendation. See section 7.19 of the governance guide for maintained schools and regulation 4(1) of The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009.
During the headteacher/deputy headteacher recruitment process, your board will:
- Appoint a selection panel of at least 3 governors (see regulation 15 of The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009)
- Tell the local authority (and diocese, if you're in a church school)
- Advertise the vacancy and shortlist candidates
- Request references
- Hold interviews
- Appoint the successful candidate
For more detailed information about what you'll do in each stage of the process, see our articles on:
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