A shouting parent, a child not picked up from school, a call from an external agency, a leadership meeting I was late for, planning the delivery of the book fair with nowhere to put it, finishing a presentation for a parent workshop starting in an hour’s time - this list of jobs sounds like the inbox task given at most assistant headteacher job interviews, but this actually happened to me one afternoon.

Those interviews are like that for a reason: the assistant head really is the multitasking problem-solver of the school.

So transitioning to assistant headship can be a bumpy road at times - and this year, with the uncertainty of what school will be like from September onwards, it will be even trickier. To help, here are my top tips if you are starting as an assistant head in September, or if you have been doing the job for a while and are still struggling.

1. Prioritising tasks

Prioritising tasks can be a real challenge. My role balanced child protection responsibilities, management of projects, teaching responsibilities, seemingly endless meetings on a range of topics, subject leadership, management of staff, working with outside agencies, day-to-day problem-solving such as staff absence, the list goes on and on.

Adjusting to this laundry list of tasks from being a class teacher, with a defined routine, was hard at first. The ability to manage time efficiently is required on the first day, so being adaptable is important, as is being kind to yourself.

I wrote lists and ticked items off at first, but then moved on to writing tasks on Post-it notes so I could move them around as priorities changed. This made my lists more adaptable and less paperwork-heavy. It really helped and it was good to be able to refer back to the notes I kept so I could recall what I had done.

2. Strategic vision

Managing the pushes and pulls from your headteacher and from class teachers is one of the main roles of an assistant head. Translating the expectations of an initiative that must be done to improve outcomes, which can sometimes feel abstract or unrealistic, into a more practical and pragmatic approach is a skill I quickly developed.

Setting achievable deadlines for myself, and others, worked well for me. Managing up and down the line becomes easier with experience. But the thing you can do that will have the most impact is to be honest if you occasionally do not meet deadlines or expectations - when I did that I found staff really appreciated it.

3. Positive relationships

Depending on your route to assistant headship, the internal school dynamics can have an impact on your job-related self-esteem.

Rising through a school from NQT to leadership, as several of my friends have done, presents the difficulty of leading and managing people you consider friends. They may have seen you at low points, after a long night in the pub; you may even have vented to them about the headteacher.

In this situation, clarifying boundaries is essential, but there is no easy route to making the new relationship work.

Luckily, I moved schools with promotion, and I can say with some confidence that you will be able to build several friendships as long as you set boundaries and maintain professionalism. For example, I would never share sensitive information with colleagues, and they knew not to ask.

It is important to have positive relationships in a role that can feel a bit isolated at times. Try not to go into the job with the expectation that everyone will be open to you. It usually isn’t personal; it often is related to a perceived difference in power dynamics. I did not understand this in the first term and gained nothing from sniping back and forth with another teacher.

4. Project management

Your explanation of a project or initiative needs to be concise and evidence-based, and include a clear rationale. Trying to avoid adding to the workload of already-burdened class teachers should be one of the action points of any project.

Always remember, and verbalise, that senior leaders were once class teachers; this is a fact that everyone can forget at times. The strategic roles are different, but the aim is the same for all staff; to improve outcomes and experiences for children.

I often used to choose a sceptical staff member to be the champion for my project, to pilot it with me. This strategy worked more often than it did not.

5. Stay focused and on-message

Remember, you are a fresh set of eyes and well-placed to make innovative suggestions. But pace yourself and ensure that the changes you want to make are either in line with the school improvement plan or that you can find a way to include them in that plan.

Frame your changes in the language of school improvement. As a key member of the senior leadership team, you share the ambition to move the school forward, even if the messages you deliver might be hard to hear at times.

Explain your reasoning for wanting to move that long-standing member of staff to a different year group or to transfer resources from one intervention to another. Back your ideas with evidence, involve the people effected in meaningful discussions and explain your reasoning.

6. Look after yourself

I found it really important, even when I became very skilled at managing multiple issues at once, to reflect on the day, talking it through with other senior colleagues. Sharing practice, being receptive to new ideas, listening to advice from more experienced people really help with wellbeing, as less baggage is taken home.

Talking through issues should always be encouraged and remember to be kind to yourself about the way you feel after a difficult day or experience, as it will be better next time.

Nick Godfrey is a former assistant headteacher in London, who is currently on a career break

This article originally appeared in the 28 August 2020 issue under the headline “Just promoted to assistant? I’ll give you 
a head start”