Becoming a headteacher is the dream for many teachers.
It is a huge step for some teachers, but enticing for those of you who want to have more power & responsibility and perhaps make an even bigger impact on education.
Below are 4 tips that may help you be successful at headteacher interviews.
1. Vision
Make sure that your vision matches the school. You don’t have to be an expert on everything, but it is really important to stay on the same page with the school and as the people that you will be working alongside. Do your research, take notes, and understand the direction that the school is heading, and try to let the decision makers know that you are with them and have a co-aligned vision.
2. Key Message
You should have a key message that will differentiate you from the other applicants. Your message could be a mixture of the current status of the school and your core beliefs. Make sure the key message is closely related to the school’s circumstances because this shows that you are serious about your application.
3. Love Letter
Write a love letter to the school: tell the decision maker how much you love the school, how strong your desire is to become the headteacher at this particular school. Be unique to the school, be bold about your feelings, be proud about how good you are, and be specific about your plans to make the school better.
4. Skills
Being a headteacher requires a lot of essential skills. Here’s a list of areas that interviewers may wish to explore:
– Leadership style
– Communication methods
– Attitude to under performing staff
– Attitude to work life balance for you and your staff
– IT skills
– Attitude to use of IT in class
– Interaction with the community
– Time management
– Data interpretation
– Maintaining an open mind
– Lesson preferences
– Budget analysis
– Public speaking
Ideally you will have an example of your attitude on these matters that you can relay simply and clearly, demonstrating your approach to the matter and the results of that approach.
