The role of a headteacher is a huge privilege which can be extremely affirming. Having the opportunity to lead and manage the education of young people is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
It is a job in which you never cease to learn and where experience and on-going review and reflection help you to become increasingly effective.
And so as another school year gets underway, in this article I outline a range strategies and principles which I believe help to safeguard the wellbeing of headteachers.
1, The oxygen mask
Take good care of your own physical and emotional needs. In order to be best placed to serve and support others it is essential for school leaders to be physically and emotionally fit. Regular exercise, good nutrition and sleep patterns improve our ability to think clearly, make good decisions, and have a positive impact on our emotional wellbeing.
I shudder to think how often I neglected to take breaks or either ate on the run or missed meals altogether. With hindsight, I can see that this was a poor example and led to unreasonable expectations of my availability.
2, More than just a headteacher
It is essential to prioritise other relationships and interests. If you do not have a fulfilling life outside of school, you are vulnerable to losing perspective and perhaps believing that your successes and struggles are of far greater significance than the reality.
We can be seduced into believing that our roles are indispensable, but when your career is over it will be your family, friends and personal interests that will continue to give your life meaning so do not neglect them now.
3, Develop mutually supportive relationships and empower others
Spending time developing positive relationships with colleagues within and beyond the school will pay dividends when it comes to generating ideas, sharing workload and creating an environment where mutual support is readily available.
Investing in the CPD of fellow leaders will empower them to make effective decisions and give them the necessary confidence and competencies to become increasingly effective team members who can operate without needing close supervision.
4, Permission to take time out
It is vital for headteachers to take care of their own CPD and ensure the completion of important tasks, including keeping on top of necessary statutory requirements and non-statutory guidance.
In my view, these tasks are best completed off-site and certainly away from other distractions. If you take time out to stay on top of key tasks, you are more likely to have the necessary energy and space to ensure an active presence in school on a more regular basis, as well as more time and freedom to relax and recharge during evenings, weekends and holidays.
5, Regular supervision, mentoring and coaching sessions
No matter how experienced we are or how supportive our leadership team or governors might be, having a trusted external advisor who has no other agenda apart from providing supervision, support and guidance is essential for any headteacher.
I would advise that such a person has no direct link with your local authority, has experience of headship, and is skilled in both mentoring and coaching strategies.
6, Limit new initiatives
Headteachers frequently feel the pressure of responding rapidly to initiatives and advice, often generated from beyond the school. If we are not careful this can lead to overload and a stressful sense of urgency.
The decision to launch any new initiative must be dependent on its potential to have a positive impact on the learners. Leading and managing change requires a clear, rational rationale, careful planning, systematic training, and the support of stakeholders. This is not always easy to achieve and becomes untenable if leaders are trying to implement multiple initiatives at any one given time.
7, Be present, available and part of the school community
Headteachers should not underestimate the positive impact of activities such as meeting and greeting children and their parents/carers in the playground, having lunch with the children, visiting classes on an informal basis, acknowledging efforts, and listening to ideas or concerns that might arise from more casual conversation.
In my experience, a regular but manageable teaching commitment including leading staff training fosters mutual respect and provides the necessary perspective and credibility to lead more effectively. During these times it is important to avoid being distracted by other matters. These interactions will enhance your sense of job satisfaction and wellbeing.
8, Articulate and reinforce shared values
Once leaders and teachers have gone through the process of consultation to agree and produce a set of shared values, it is vital to take every opportunity to reiterate these values and highlight positive examples of principles being put into practice – perhaps acts of kindness, showing resilience or maintaining honesty and integrity. This will help to set and maintain a culture of shared responsibility and pride in the school.
9, Promote positivity and guard against negative bias
We often tend to pay far more attention to negative events or situations than positive ones. It is helpful for school leaders to understand that this bias is also highly likely to manifest itself within our school communities.
During these times it can be very challenging for school leaders to maintain a clear perspective and/or avoid acting impulsively to try and placate the negative voices.
It is always best to take time to understand why emotions may be running high, consider the factual evidence, and consult with trusted colleagues. Responding emotionally will invariably exacerbate a difficult situation and make it much more difficult to resolve. Taking time to reflect on and highlight positive events or aspects of school life will help to counter the negative biases and generate more enthusiasm and positivity.
10, Complaints: Listen carefully and respond promptly
Providing regular opportunities for staff and parent representatives to receive news, share ideas, successes and to raise issues will ensure their contributions are valued and welcomed.
The best leaders are good listeners who always seek and acknowledge the views of others. They resist the temptation to interrupt and often summarise back what they have heard to clarify understanding.
They never deny the rights of others to express their feelings, even if they believe them to be misguided.
When dealing with a complaint, it is essential that any complainant receives a rapid initial response (perhaps a short message acknowledging receipt) and a commitment that it will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly within a reasonable timescale.
This will take the initial heat out of the situation, keep things in perspective, and give headteachers the time for the issue to be dealt with in an appropriately measured way, thereby reducing any associated stress or worry.
A quick note about governors
Our governors are a vital source of support for headteachers, and I was fortunate to work with many outstanding individuals who always discharged their responsibilities with the utmost commitment, care and consideration.
Nevertheless, I do think that all governing bodies should be held accountable for ensuring that the wellbeing of the headteacher is regularly addressed as a standing item on the agenda and that any related actions are having a positive impact. Wherever possible, governors should try to make themselves available for meetings during school hours,
Final thoughts
I cannot even begin to pretend that I was able to consistently adhere to the strategies above and principles outlined. However, when I began to adopt these approaches, they had a considerable impact on my wellbeing and ability to lead and manage others.
Being an effective headteacher is utterly dependent on developing and maintaining positive relationships and knowing that you cannot be effective in isolation.
If you are unable to look after yourself, taking care and responsibility for others becomes virtually impossible.
Focus your efforts on addressing matters within your influence and spending far less time worrying about those over which you have little or no control.
Approaching school life with serious intent while maintaining a keen sense of humour can help us to face the challenges of the role and keep things in perspective. This final insight reminds me of a card I once received from a kindly and thoughtful pupil in which they described me as: “The best headteacher in the whole school!”
- Gary Murrell is a recently retired headteacher and executive headteacher who has more than 30 years’ experience in education, including as a leading teacher of mathematics and 25 years in school leadership, during which time he led and managed three schools. Visit www.headteacher-update.com/authors/gary-murrell