How many people sit down to fill in their application for a new teaching post... and then procrastinate?

There is no getting away from it: form-filling is dull. And made up of ridiculously tiny boxes. Who even knows their Department for Education number, anyway?  

By the time you get to the personal statement, you’re most likely on the verge of tears or nodding off. And then the self-doubting questions begin: am I really leadership material? What makes me stand out? How can I prove experience and impact without being in a leadership role?

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These are questions that will plague almost any candidate at some point in their career.

What does a school senior leader look like?

Venturing into leadership requires courage, persistence and resilience.

Assistant headteacher roles are the most competed for in senior leadership teams, with many dozens of applications for each position, including those pesky internal candidates who have the unnerving benefit of being advantageously well-informed about the school. 

Knowing you’re ready for it is one thing, but demonstrating that without already being in a senior role is tough.

To even dream of a seat at the table, you first need to tackle that application form, particularly when matching your experience to the person specification.

So what things should be your focus when filling in that form? Here are my top tips on matching your experience to the form: 

1. Read, read and read again

The person specification is the key to the entire job application. It explicitly (and sometimes implicitly) outlines precisely what your new school is looking for. When filling in those irritating forms, when crafting your personal statement, refer back to it again and again.

You should aim to absorb, internalise and utilise the language and phrasing they willingly gift you at every stage of the application journey.

2. Every achievement counts

Although you may not (yet) have senior leadership experience, each achievement you have gained, every time you have had a positive impact, it all counts, and must be included in your application.

As well as emphasising the fantastic data you have gained for your class or department, make sure you give yourself credit for your involvement in whole-school improvement.

For example, those contributions you made to the working party which resulted in improved outcomes for disadvantaged students; the peer coaching or mentoring of a colleague who went on to refine their practice; the pastoral intervention you might have done with a member of your form group, and how that has benefited them.

3. Bring your whole self

Let the shortlisting panel know who you are. This, combined with what you have achieved as an educator, will demonstrate the value you will bring to the role.

Consider how your outside interests support fulfilling the person specification, and enjoy bringing your whole self to the application process.

4. Invite critique

Proffering your carefully constructed application to someone else to read prior to submission is daunting, yet, as reflective practitioners, we are used to seeking feedback from others.

Remember to send the person specification along with your personal statement, and ask for suggested improvements related to how well you exemplify the essential and desirable criteria.

However, be selective with which advice you follow. This is your application, and it should sound like you.

Lucy Flower is a music teacher from Leeds. She tweets @MrsLFlower