What Does Becoming Headteacher for the First Time Feel Like?
How does it feel to step through the playground gates on your first day as school leader?
It is 4:55am. The alarm, also known as my six-month-old, wakes me from my slumber. My mind wanders, but then it hits me. Today is day one of my first headship.
When I went into teaching I hadn’t set my sights on headship. I just always wanted to be the best teacher I could be. Not even outstanding, just remembered for making a difference. I had always wanted to inspire and give something back.
Gaining my first deputy headship was the result of hard work in the class and the reward for being a so called ‘outstanding teacher’. I felt I was effective and the children seemed to enjoy the work we did.
Ironically, the better I became at teaching, the more time I seemed to spend out of class. The deputy headship was hard: 50% in class and 50% out.
It was a challenge to be the best teacher I could be while also attempting to be the leader the school needed. I juggled the demands of my class with the demands of a leader in a modern day school. Following my first 12 months, the headteacher retired. It was difficult.
Staff and parents wanted someone that they knew to replace the head. ‘Are you going for it?’, they asked, following the initial announcement. ‘You would be great. Why don’t you just put a letter in?’ I ruled myself out very early on, informing people it was not the right time for me. That was true, but it was also not the right school for me for my first headship.
The school was in need of a turnaround. It had been successful but needed bringing into the 21st century. It needed the skills of a head with the experience of a turnaround.
I recognised at the time this was not me. I also still felt I had something to offer in class.
The new head brought a clear direction and a willingness to work with me and seek my advice. From the start we worked closely together, although perhaps not always seeing eye to eye.
I have a passion for the purposeful use of technology and am never afraid to take a risk. This can make some leaders nervous, as they don’t always understand the rewards but are more than aware of the pitfalls.
We found a way to work. I was spending less time in class but was helping to turn the school around.
There were highs and lows. I was given much more responsibility, paid better, given time to get the work I needed done. I was even given my own office – a sure sign I had made it, although the windows didn’t open and in the summer it would reach 100 degrees.
The lows were there too: a challenging staff and LA, difficult questions from governors and the demand to show data in as many different ways as possible.
During this time I started to, without realising, build a vision in my head of what a school led by me might look like. A fire burned inside me to make a difference, to build something new, to give back, to stand out. I dreamt of a school for the future – a school with me as head. And now that dream is a reality. It’s 6am and I’m in a new suit, shirt and tie. My son is mesmerised by his reflection in the mirror and my daughter wants ice cream for breakfast.
I’ve planned my first assembly, put together my introductory staff meeting and have written my first letter to parents, introducing myself.
The school day starts for me at 7:45am. I meet and greet staff and check everyone enjoyed their break. After teaching for many years, it feels strange to not be preparing for a day in the classroom.
Next, I head to the playground to meet parents. I smile but default to speaking to the people I’m most comfortable with: the children. This is certainly something I’ll need to work on.
I spend the remainder of the day meeting as many of the school community as possible. I am determined to learn the names of every pupil but it’s a struggle.
My first day has gone quickly and I’m taken aback by the number of questions I’ve faced as the day progressed. Back home, after a game of Guess Who with my daughter that involved even more questions, I’m ready for bed.
This isn’t the end of a journey. It’s just the beginning.
The writer is a headteacher in the north of England. Read more at newheadteacherblog.wordpress.com and @newheadteacher.
