Main responsibilities
- Lead the school day to day: teaching, behaviour, attendance, pupil welfare and staff.
- Implement the federation's or trust's strategy and policies in the school.
- Often hold the DSL role or line-manage the DSL and SENCO.
- Report to the executive headteacher or CEO, and to the governing body or local committee.
Statutory duties and official sources
England.
- Statutory headteacher responsibilities (internal organisation, management and control; educational performance) rest with the headteacher in law. Check whether that is the head of school or the executive headteacher. Source: School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013, regulation 6.
- The governance guide notes that in a federation there may be more than one headteacher. Source: Maintained schools: governance guide, section 3.1.
- If the head of school is the DSL, the KCSIE 2026 DSL duties apply. Source: KCSIE 2026, paragraph 127 and Annex B.
Key dates in the school year (2026 to 2027, England)
The school-level headteacher dates apply: census days (1 October 2026, 21 January 2027, 20 May 2027 — census dates), weekly attendance data sharing, statutory assessments in May and June 2027 (Primary assessments: future dates) and exams (JCQ key dates).
Common challenges and good practice
- Clarity of authority. Staff, parents and agencies need to know who is the headteacher in law, who is the DSL and who signs off exclusions, exams and admissions decisions.
- Accountability lines. Agree with the executive head what the head of school reports to governors directly.
