Headteacher: model job description
Use our model job description to help you recruit for your next headteacher - it's based on the Headteachers' Standards 2020.
Download our model job description and person specification
Use our model job description to recruit your next headteacher - it's suitable for both primary and secondary schools.
Adapt it to suit your school’s context, needs and priorities (for example, if you're part of a multi academy trust, you can add details about how you expect the headteacher to work with other schools in the trust).
Our job description is based on the Headteachers' Standards 2020 - see our summary of the standards here.
See an example job description
Ealing Council’s headteacher/senior leader recruitment pack includes a sample headteacher job description and person specification (appendix D, page 27). Although the description is based on the old, 2015 National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers, the description sets out useful key responsibilities, including:
- Ensuring inclusion, diversity and access
- Creating an outward-facing school to work with other schools
Also in 'Senior leaders: job descriptions'
- Assistant headteacher: model job description
- Chief executive officer (CEO): model job description
- Chief financial officer (CFO): model job description
- Chief operating officer (COO): model job description
- Deputy headteacher: model job description
- Designated safeguarding lead (DSL): model job description