Main responsibilities
- Set and lead the school's strategic direction, vision and priorities with the governing body or trust.
- Lead teaching and the curriculum, and make sure every class has a teacher assigned in the timetable.
- Keep pupils and staff safe; make sure safeguarding policies adopted by the board are understood and followed by all staff.
- Lead, manage and appraise staff, and advise the relevant body on teachers' pay.
- Organise and deploy the school's budget and other resources.
- Report to, and take reasonable direction from, the governing body or trust.
- Lead attendance, behaviour, inclusion and SEND arrangements through named leads (senior attendance champion, DSL, SENCO).
- Act as head of centre for public examinations (secondary).
- Lead the school through inspection, including the Ofsted report card process in England.
Statutory duties and official sources
England unless stated.
- The headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and its educational performance, is accountable to the governing body and must comply with its reasonable directions (maintained schools). Source: School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013, regulation 6(4)–(6).
- Professional duties: strategic leadership; lead teaching and learning, including assigning a teacher to every class; promote safety and wellbeing; manage and appraise staff; advise on pay; deploy resources; consult governors, staff, pupils and parents. Source: School teachers' pay and conditions document 2025, Part 7, paragraphs 44–46.
- Entitled to dedicated headship time and a daily break, and must arrange for someone suitable to cover headship functions during that break. Source: STPCD 2025, paragraph 47.
- Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures adopted by the governing body or proprietor are understood and followed by all staff. Source: Keeping children safe in education 2026 (KCSIE), paragraph 84; in force from 1 September 2026.
- Concerns or allegations that a member of staff may have harmed a child go to the headteacher, who acts as case manager and considers whether to refer to the local authority designated officer (LADO); concerns about the headteacher go to the chair of governors. The headteacher should be the ultimate decision-maker on low-level concerns. Source: KCSIE 2026, paragraphs 78, 440 and 516.
- In a maintained school at least one person on each interview panel must have completed safer recruitment training. When a school gives a reference, the headteacher should confirm it is accurate about any disciplinary investigations. Source: KCSIE 2026, paragraphs 289 and 303; School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, regulation 9.
- The DSL should liaise with the headteacher about issues, especially section 47 enquiries and police investigations. Source: KCSIE 2026, Annex B.
- Appoint an ECT's induction tutor and make sure the tutor and mentor have sufficient time; carry out or oversee formal assessments. Source: Induction for early career teachers (England), June 2026, paragraphs 2.42–2.45 and 2.55.
- Give educational advice for EHC needs assessments, and arrange EHC plan reviews when the local authority asks. The headteacher may also be the SENCO. Source: SEND code of practice: 0 to 25, chapter 9; SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 49.
- A school must appoint a competent person for health and safety; in most schools the headteacher implements the health and safety policy. Source: DfE, Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools, sections 1–2.
- The governing body must hold the headteacher to account for the day-to-day running of the school; the chair usually line-manages the headteacher. Source: Maintained schools: governance guide, sections 3.1 and 4.5.
- In an academy trust the board appoints a senior executive leader, who should be the accounting officer; in a single academy trust this should be the principal. Source: Academy trust handbook 2026, paragraphs 1.33–1.34.
Qualifications. There has been no mandatory headship qualification in England since the NPQH requirement was revoked by the Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2012. The NPQ in headship is voluntary. The Headteachers' standards 2020 are non-statutory.
Key dates in the school year (2026 to 2027, England)
- 1 September 2026: KCSIE 2026 in force (KCSIE).
- 1 October 2026: autumn census day; return by 28 October 2026 (census dates).
- 1 October 2026: Academy trust handbook 2026 takes effect (academies).
- Every Friday by 11.59pm: daily attendance data for the previous week shared with DfE, where required (Share your daily school attendance data).
- 31 December 2026: pupil premium strategy statement published on the website (Using pupil premium); inclusion strategy statement published where the school receives the inclusive mainstream fund (conditions of grant).
- 21 January 2027 spring census; 20 May 2027 summer census.
- 10–13 May 2027: key stage 2 tests; from 7 June 2027: multiplication tables check window (2 weeks); from 14 June 2027: phonics screening check week (Primary assessments: future dates).
- 10 May–23 June 2027: GCSE and A level exam period, with 23 June as contingency day; results 12 August (A level) and 19 August 2027 (GCSE) (JCQ key dates).
- Maintained schools: three-year budget forecast to the local authority on a date it sets between 1 May and 30 June; SFVS checklist submitted annually (SFVS guidance).
Common challenges and good practice
- Governance boundary. The board is strategic and the headteacher operational. Agree with the chair how data and reports reach the board so governors can challenge without duplicating management (maintained governance guide, sections 3.1–3.2).
- New headship. Take time to understand the school before wider change, but act on immediate safeguarding concerns and other urgent responsibilities straight away.
- Delegation. Headteacher responsibilities may be delegated to deputies, assistants or other staff, consistent with their conditions and a reasonable work–life balance (STPCD 2025, paragraph 45.2). The exception is appraisal arrangements and pay recommendations (paragraph 46.9), which pass to a deputy only when acting for an absent headteacher (paragraphs 45.1 and 48.2). Accountability stays with the headteacher. Record who leads safeguarding, SEND, attendance and filtering and monitoring.
- Inspection. Ofsted report cards grade each evaluation area separately, with safeguarding reported as met or not met (Understanding Ofsted report cards). Prepare from the school inspection toolkit (version 2.0, June 2026, for inspections from 7 September 2026), not from legacy handbook language. The toolkit says inspectors do not need documents produced specifically for inspection.
- Workload and wellbeing. The STPCD requires leading staff with regard to a healthy balance between work and other commitments (paragraph 46.13).
Common questions
- Who does a headteacher report to? The governing body in a maintained school; the trust board, often through a CEO, in an academy. The chair usually line-manages the headteacher.
- Can the headteacher be the DSL or SENCO? KCSIE says the DSL should be an appropriate senior member of staff from the leadership team (KCSIE paragraph 127), so a headteacher can be the DSL. The SEND Regulations allow the headteacher to be the SENCO.
- Does a headteacher have to teach? "Teach" is listed among the duties a headteacher may be required to undertake (STPCD paragraph 46.5); how much depends on the school.
- Is a principal the same as a headteacher? In England the job is the same; academies often use "principal". In law the trust appoints a "senior executive leader" (Academy trust handbook paragraph 1.33).
- What does Ofsted look at for leadership? Leadership and governance is one of the evaluation areas in the renewed framework (education inspection framework).
Becoming a headteacher
- Route in. GCSE grade 4 (or a standard equivalent) in English and maths, plus a science for those training to teach ages 3 to 11, to enter teacher training in England; A levels or equivalent; a degree; Qualified Teacher Status (QTS); teaching experience and leadership experience, usually as a deputy headteacher. NPQH is optional in England.
- Time to headship. This varies with qualifications, experience and competition; some leaders move faster by relocating or applying to larger schools.
- Pay. In a maintained school the relevant body assigns the school to a headteacher group by its unit total, then sets a pay range that reflects the role's permanent responsibilities and leaves room for progression (STPCD 2025, paragraphs 5 and 9.1–9.2). The range should not normally exceed the group maximum, and pay more than 25% above that maximum, including temporary payments, needs exceptional circumstances, external independent advice and a business case (paragraphs 9.3 and 10.2–10.4). The STPCD binds maintained schools; in an academy, check the trust's pay policy and the advertised range.
- After headship. Larger or more challenging schools, or roles such as inspector, education consultant or teacher trainer.
