Headteacher: model job description

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). 

KeyDoc: model job description and person specification for a headteacher DOC, 148.5 KB Download

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