Recently a close friend and fellow school headteacher went for a new headship role and contacted me for help and guidance through the process.
They are at a very established international school and have all the experience in the world for the job - but it’s been clear through the conversations we’ve been having just how complicated and multi-layered the process of applying for another headship role can be.
It is something that is starkly different from a deputy applying for a head role, with many complexities that appear unique to the situation - from the emotions it can stir up to the tricky decisions you have to make through the process.
Through our conversations, four key themes have emerged that I think any head looking for a new challenge in 2023 would do well to be aware of.
Advice for applying for a new headteacher job
1. Owning your past
One of the big topics we touched on is how you are upfront about your existing role and its successes and areas for improvement.
After all, as a serving head, your current role gives you far more exposure beyond your school community, so it is harder to take on a new role and reinvent yourself - your reputation will arrive with you at interview, and this needs to be acknowledged.
This may mean discussing areas for development or things you could have done better - many of which may well be known in a forum beyond your current school - and how you can grow from this in your new role.
2. Being vulnerable
This, in turn, means being vulnerable - something we have discussed at length; not least the fact that you have to do so with an interview panel who do not know you and are acting as critical evaluators of you and your credentials.
As such, admitting to anything less than perfection can seem daunting and requires huge amounts of trust and courage.
Yet you will have areas of vulnerability and it is important for the interview panel to see this because it is another key insight into you and what you will bring to the role.
This also requires you to be authentic because anything else means the role is not right for you or you are not right for the role.
3. Managing conflicting emotions
In our discussions we’ve also shared thoughts about feeling conflicted, as you feel huge amounts of loyalty to your current school and yet lots of excitement at the prospect of a new challenge.
You feel you can bring something new to the future role, but care greatly for those you are possibly leaving behind - especially if they are on a journey that you may not complete with them, as a school or individuals.
It is an emotional rollercoaster and one of the only times as a school leader when you put yourself ahead of your school, your colleagues, your students and your school community. That can feel hugely selfish - an alien concept to most leaders.
It’s something that should not be dismissed and, having gone through this experience myself seven years ago and having talked to my close friend about it more recently, it made me realise just how exposed you feel throughout the process and why having someone to share this with can be so helpful.
4. The risk to other relationships
One final thing that must also be considered is how you navigate the reality that at some point your current school, and especially the board, will become aware of the fact that you are considering another job.
I remember, when I left my previous post after nine years, the conversation with my chair, letting them know that I was in the running for a new job, was not one I was looking forward to.
I had to speak to them in advance of securing the new role, but late enough to know that I was in with a good chance of being successful, as they were to be one of my referees, so I wanted them to be fully aware of where I was and what my intention was, should I pursue the role any further.
By being open, honest and clear, I found that my chair was very supportive and we parted on good terms.
I think I was confident in the fact that I had a relationship built upon trust, which made the conversation a little easier - although it made the decision to leave all the more difficult, too.
There is no perfect time, as a current serving head, to speak with the board about a potential move, and I think it will depend largely upon the relationship.
However, if the relationship is strong and professional, it is probably because the head has been successful in the current post and improved the school from when they first took the role.
In this situation, a move can never be looked upon negatively because the school you are leaving is in a better place and they should recognise that all relationships come to an end eventually.
There is no doubt that moving from one headship to another comes with its own unique challenges - but get it right and it can be a refreshing change and a chance to continue to develop your career and leave a positive legacy wherever you go.
Mark Leppard MBE is headmaster of The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi and chair of British Schools in the Middle East (BSME)
