headteachers | Schools Week

Bumper year as 102 winners scoop silver Pearson Teaching Awards for 2021

Inspirational teachers, leaders, support staff and schools from across the country have been honoured today for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of their students. A total of 102 winners have scooped silver awards in the annual Pearson National Teaching Awards. The names have been announced to coincide with national Thank a Teacher day. […]

Teacher departures down 17% during pandemic, plus 4 more school workforce findings

Teaching’s increasingly young and diverse workforce continued to grow last year as staff departures slumped during Covid, new figures show. The Department for Education published its annual ‘school worforce in England’ data on Thursday, based on the November 2020 school workforce census. Here are the key findings. 1. Teacher numbers rise as staff stay […]

Senior mental health lead training: 5 things you need to know

Up to two-thirds of schools will have to wait until at least next spring to hear if they will receive grant funding for senior staff mental health training, the government has confirmed. The Department for Education published brief new guidance on Wednesday setting out further details of its pledge to offer every school training for […]

DfE looks to spend £800k on headteacher wellbeing and mental health support

The Department for Education is looking to spend £800,000 on “tailored mental health and wellbeing support” to school leaders across England. A prior information notice published by the department refers to a “potential upcoming procurement” of a new mental health and wellbeing support scheme modelled on a limited pilot currently working with up to 385 […]

NAHT: Leaders have spent 7 extra school days ‘propping up’ test and trace

The government faces calls to release leaders from the “burden” of running test and trace in their schools, after union figures showed they have spent on average seven extra school days on the task since September. The National Association of Head Teachers said a survey of 401 of its members had revealed the average leader […]

DfE to offer new headteachers ‘targeted support’ during first two years in post

The Department for Education has announced a “targeted support package” for new headteachers, offering additional training in the first two years of headship. School leaders and experts welcomed the measures, but warned they must come with funding attached amid stretched school budgets. The extra training will be offered to those who are either currently taking […]

DfE extends school leaders wellbeing service to 160 more heads with £62k

A mental health and wellbeing support service for school leaders will be extended after an extra £62,000 in government funding. We are now seeing significant signs of burnout across the profession The school leaders’ wellbeing service, a pilot scheme run by Education Support to provide online peer and telephone support to about 250 school leaders, […]

Whiteman’s Wishlist: NAHT boss sets out his demands to ministers

The NAHT school leaders’ union will hold its annual general meeting today, with general secretary Paul Whiteman due to take the stand for a big speech on what headteachers want to see from government. The meeting, which would normally coincide with the union’s annual conference, is taking place virtually because of the pandemic. Here’s what […]

Headteacher vacancies fall despite Covid exodus fears

Fears of a Covid-fuelled mass exodus of headteachers this summer may be wide of the mark, although new figures suggest more leaders left their jobs earlier in the pandemic. The government was warned about a “post-Covid exodus” of headteachers after a poll last year found nearly half were less than likely to remain in the […]