Headteachers make a profound difference to the school communities they serve. Evidence strongly suggests that this influence and impact increases with longevity in role and particularly with longevity in role at the same school. Retention rates for headteachers are, however, decreasing because:

• The role has become more complex, presenting multiple challenges, in recent times.
• National policy, particularly around accountability, does not attend to the impact on heads.
• Headteacher autonomy is unpredictable (sometimes too much and sometimes too little).
• Preparation and induction for headteachers does not reflect the demands of the role.
• Support for heads already in post is often limited, patchy, mixed, and ad hoc in nature.

The Rethinking Headship programme, a new strand of our work, will seek to address these challenges head on, for the benefit of headteachers and the wider education system. This free online roundtable event will:

• Outline our aims and plans in the development of our Rethinking Headship programme.
• Share research findings on headteacher retention and what this means for rethinking headship.
• Hear your insights about rethinking headship on a personal and systemic level.

Headteachers are vitally important for our schools and our education system, particularly in complex and uncertain times: a swathe of recent evidence confirms this fact. And yet the research into headteacher retention also shows that professional learning and support provision for serving heads is insufficient.

With these insights in mind, and because headship has changed dramatically in recent years, it is unsurprising that so many headteachers are considering leaving the role before retirement. At the same time, fewer and fewer senior and middle leaders are considering headship as an attractive option.

Something clearly needs to change, for the sake of our current headteachers, those who might take up the role, the pupils and staff who benefit from working with committed and happy heads, and for the school system generally. That is the focus and intention of our brand-new Rethinking Headship work.

Are you an experienced headteacher who wants to:

• Know more about what research has to say about headteacher retention?
• Rethink your own approach to headship (for whatever reason)?
• Help shape how our education system rethinks the demands of headship?
• Work with other heads who want to rethink headship, individually or at a system level?

This online roundtable would benefit greatly from your contribution.

Participants at the event will benefit from:

• An overview of insights from 26 recent research reports into headteacher retention.
• Our synthesis of these insights into 11 key areas that should inform the rethinking of headship.
• A summary of early findings from the SSAT Rethinking Headship survey.
• The opportunity to share your thoughts with peers on the challenges of rethinking headship.
• A forum to share your ideas about how our education system ought to be rethinking headship.
• Early information about our proposals for a Rethinking Headship programme for serving heads.

After the event, participants will receive:

• A copy of our 30-page summary and synthesis of research findings about headteacher retention.
• A copy of our Rethinking Headship Manifesto, drawn from practitioner insights, when published.

Further information:

• Read this blog about Rethinking the Musicality of Headship.
• Complete our Rethinking Headship survey.
• Discover our Rethinking Headship conference.

Host information

Dr Keven Bartle, Senior Education Lead, SSAT

Keven has been a teacher for almost three decades and was headteacher at a richly diverse secondary school in London for nine years. Through his career, Keven has been committed to the power of education for social justice and transformation, working in schools where staff make a difference to the lives of children, families and communities.

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