Rethinking Headship

SSAT’s Rethinking Headship is a brand-new, evidence-informed offer aimed at the deserving but under-served cohort of experienced headteachers within our education system.

Our Rethinking Headship work has two key aims:

1. Supporting headteachers who are looking to rethink their approach to headship.
2. Shaping how our education system rethinks headship to better support those in the role.

Labouring to Love Headship: Overwhelming Challenge and Underwhelming Support

Almost half of experienced headteachers feel ‘stuck’ or plan to leave their role because of overwhelming challenges and a lack of effective preparation, induction, training and support.

This July 2024 report is a summary of the findings from a survey of 236 serving and former headteachers who, between them have almost 2,000 years of headship experience. The survey questions drew from 26 reports into headteacher retention published since 2017.

Read Labouring to Love Headship

Attend our Rethinking Headship Conference

Join one of the SSAT’s Rethinking Headship Programme Launch Conferences where you will:

• Hear from keynote speakers about the challenges of rethinking professional practice.
• Discover more about the implications of recent research into headteacher retention.
• Find out our survey findings and receive a copy of our Rethinking Headship Manifesto.
• Learn from experienced headteachers about their experience of rethinking headship.
• Take part in debates about the personal and political dimensions of rethinking headship.
• Receive details of SSAT’s Rethinking Headship professional learning programme.
• Connect with a network of serving headteachers similarly keen to rethink headship.

Attend a launch conference

Read our Rethinking Headship Blog

Keven Bartle, a Senior Education Lead at SSAT and headteacher for 9 years has written a blog on the musicality of rethinking headship. This blog outlines the key messages from research evidence into headteacher retention.

Read the blog

Share Your Experiences of Rethinking Headship

We are looking for headteachers who would like to contribute a guest blog or video about their experience of rethinking headship and/or their views on how the education system could or should rethink headship. Please contact Keven.Bartle@ssatuk.co.uk if you would like to get involved with our work in this area.

Stay Informed about Rethinking Headship

Sign up if you want to be kept updated with our Rethinking Headship work. You can do so either by completing the form at the end of our survey or by clicking on this link.