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Brassington Primary School: part-time leadership in a rural primary school

Summary

Having struggled to recruit a full-time headteacher, the governors of Brassington Primary School decided to appoint a part-time leader instead.

Key learning/outcomes

  • The part-time headteacher has greater flexibility in work hours and high levels of energy and enthusiasm for the role.
  • The headteacher is able to spend less time teaching and more time on management activities such as monitoring learning and teaching.
  • Other staff have more opportunities to take on management roles and responsibilities, which supports succession planning and sustainability.
  • Having part-time teachers gives pupils access to a wider range of skills and teaching techniques than they would otherwise have in a small school.

Background

Located in rural Derbyshire, Brassington Primary School is a small school of around 50 pupils. It has only one full-time member of staff, with all others - including the headteacher - working part-time.

Key challenges and issues

Recruitment challenges

The governors needed to recruit a new headteacher, but received a poor response to advertisements for the position. They were also disappointed with the quality of applications they did receive.

Solution or approach

Part-time leadership

The governors decided to advertise the role of headteacher as a part-time position and received a much better response to this advertisement.

Delegating leadership responsibilities

The part-time headteacher has overall leadership responsibility throughout the week. When the headteacher is not in school, a senior teacher assumes responsibility in her place.

Confidence and trust

The headteacher places trust in the staff and helps them to build the confidence and experience they need to make decisions effectively.

Monitoring and evaluation

The headteacher uses questionnaires and discussions to gather feedback from pupils and parents and stay informed about what is happening in the school.

Further information

For further information contact Brassington Primary School.