Main responsibilities
- Help set the school's aims and policies, manage staff and resources, and monitor progress.
- Lead one or more whole-school areas (often curriculum, assessment, behaviour, attendance, pastoral care or staff development).
- Act for the headteacher when the headteacher is absent.
- Line-manage middle leaders and support staff teams.
- Often hold a statutory or named role: DSL, senior attendance champion, SLT lead for filtering and monitoring, or SENCO.
- Teach, where the timetable requires it.
- Contribute to self-evaluation, improvement planning and inspection.
Statutory duties and official sources
England. The STPCD applies to maintained schools; academies follow it where contracts adopt it.
- Carry out the professional duties of a teacher and play a major role, under the headteacher's direction, in formulating aims, establishing policies, managing staff and resources and monitoring progress; undertake headteacher duties reasonably delegated. Source: STPCD 2025, paragraph 48.1.
- If the headteacher is absent, a deputy headteacher must undertake the headteacher's professional duties to the extent required by the headteacher or relevant body. Source: STPCD 2025, paragraph 48.2.
- Deputies are outside the 1,265 directed-hours limit and are entitled to a break of reasonable length as near to the middle of the day as possible. Source: STPCD 2025, paragraphs 51.4 and 52.3.
- Where a deputy is the DSL: lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including online safety and understanding filtering and monitoring; training at least every two years. Source: KCSIE 2026, paragraph 127 and Annex B.
- Where a deputy is the senior attendance champion: set a clear vision for attendance, establish systems, and monitor and evaluate progress. Source: Working together to improve school attendance (July 2026), chapter 2, paragraph 23.
- Where a deputy is the SLT member for filtering and monitoring: carry out the annual review of effectiveness with the DSL and IT support, and keep a record of checks. Source: KCSIE 2026, paragraph 173; filtering and monitoring standard.
- There is no legal requirement to appoint a deputy headteacher. Where a maintained school's governing body decides to, it must follow the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 and safer recruitment procedures. Source: Maintained schools: governance guide, section 4.6.1.
Key dates in the school year (2026 to 2027, England)
The dates depend on the areas the deputy leads. The most common:
- 1 September 2026: KCSIE 2026 in force.
- 1 October 2026: autumn census; 21 January 2027: spring census; 20 May 2027: summer census (census dates).
- Weekly: daily attendance data shared with DfE by 11.59pm each Friday, where required (Share your daily school attendance data).
- Once each academic year: filtering and monitoring review (KCSIE paragraph 173); child protection policy review (KCSIE Annex B).
- 31 December 2026: pupil premium strategy statement published (Using pupil premium).
- May–June 2027: key stage 2 tests (10–13 May), multiplication tables check (from 7 June), phonics screening check (from 14 June) (Primary assessments: future dates); GCSE and A level exams 10 May–23 June (JCQ key dates).
Common challenges and good practice
- Defined portfolio. Agree the portfolio in writing, including which statutory roles the deputy holds, so delegation from the headteacher is clear (STPCD paragraph 45.2).
- Acting headship. Agree which decisions you will take when the headteacher is absent (paragraph 48.2). Appraisal arrangements and pay recommendations (paragraph 46.9) pass to a deputy only in that situation (paragraph 45.1). Where a teacher carries out a headteacher's duties without being appointed acting headteacher, the relevant body must decide within four weeks whether to pay an acting allowance; if it does, pay must not fall below the minimum of the headteacher's range (STPCD 2025, paragraphs 23.1 and 23.4). Before a planned absence, agree with the headteacher and chair who is case manager for any allegation about staff and how DSL cover works if you hold that role.
- Workload. Deputies are outside directed time, but the STPCD expects a reasonable balance between work and other commitments (paragraph 45.2).
- Preparing for headship. The NPQ in senior leadership and the NPQ in headship are voluntary routes (NPQ courses).
Common questions
- What does a deputy headteacher do? Plays a major role, under the headteacher, in setting aims and policies, managing staff and resources and monitoring progress (STPCD paragraph 48.1), usually leading named whole-school areas.
- What is the difference between a deputy and an assistant headteacher? Both share the paragraph 48.1 duties; only a deputy must act for an absent headteacher (paragraph 48.2).
- Does a deputy headteacher have to teach? Deputies carry out the professional duties of a teacher; the amount of teaching is set locally.
- Do deputy heads work directed time? No. The 1,265-hour limit does not apply to deputies (STPCD paragraph 51.4).
- How is a deputy's pay set? In a maintained school the relevant body sets a leadership pay range for the post. Its maximum must not exceed the maximum of the school's headteacher group, and it should overlap the headteacher's range only in exceptional circumstances (STPCD 2025, paragraph 9.4). Progression is considered annually, with regard to the written recommendation in the appraisal report (paragraph 11).
- Can a deputy be the DSL? Yes, if they are a senior member of the leadership team with the right status and training (KCSIE paragraphs 127–128).
- Does every school have to have a deputy headteacher? No. There is no legal requirement; a maintained governing body that appoints one must follow the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 (maintained governance guide, section 4.6.1). In an academy, appointment follows the trust's scheme of delegation.
Becoming a deputy headteacher
- Route in. Usually significant teaching experience. Some schools ask for specific leadership qualifications or courses; continuing professional development builds leadership expertise.
- After deputy headship. Headship; specialising in curriculum, pupil support or special education; leading school improvement; education consultancy; or contributing to policy through professional associations and educational boards.
