Download our checklist to help you take action in advance
Get to know as much as you can about your school, before you start in post.
This will help you build a picture of where your school is currently, and give you the awareness and understanding you'll need for your early conversations with your school community once you start.
Use our checklist as a guide. It covers tasks to do:
- As soon as you accept the post
- 2 to 3 weeks before starting
- 1 week before starting
You can use it at the beginning of an academic year, or if you start mid-year.
Get ahead on essential reading
You need enough information - and the right information - to help you to hit the ground running. Familiarise yourself with these essential documents:
- School development/improvement plan and strategic 3- to 5-year plan
- Latest annual report
- School self-evaluation form (SEF)
- An overall outline of the budget
- Latest Ofsted report and, if applicable, any key local authority (LA) reviews
- Last set of external outcomes, including exam results and attendance data
- Analyse School Performance (ASP) reports, along with any analysis carried out on them
- Staff list and structure, including any teaching and learning responsibilities
- Current staff handbook – check key policies like safeguarding, behaviour, assessment and attendance
- Curriculum structure
Begin with the documents above, and then look at:
- A list of governors, and names of key committees and their chairs
- Minutes of full governing board meetings
- The previous headteacher's report(s) to the governing board
- School prospectus
- Any quality assurance monitoring that's been carried out during the year
For resources to help you tackle these jobs, take a look at our resource hub for new headteachers. It includes guidance and tools to help you tackle strategy, budgeting and working with your governors.
Build relationships with your school community
Once you're in post, you'll need to start meeting staff, pupils, parents and governors to form relationships and understand how they work. For example:
- Meet with your senior leadership team (SLT) – use our question prompts to help you get the most out of these conversations
- Meet with each member of staff to get a sense of any concerns
- Get into classrooms to meet pupils and to see what is going on. These should not be formal lesson observations
- Organise an open evening for parents to find out their feelings and concerns. Use our guidance on introducing yourself to parents to get you started
- Meet your governing board
Avoid making major changes initially
Don’t start making big changes, such as around your school's the vision and strategy, until you have a good knowledge of the school and have settled into the role. Wait until the end of the first half term before you take action on a major change like this with the support of the relevant stakeholders, for example.
You could make some minor changes in order to establish yourself in the role, such as reviewing and reinforcing the uniform policy, and setting agenda points for future staff meetings.
This is the case unless your school is failing to meet statutory requirements (around safeguarding, for example), in which case you may need to take immediate action on the relevant points.
Be proactive and develop your support network
Start finding a network, so that you have the right people to lean on as you start your new job.
- Experienced headteachers and senior leaders that you know and trust, and that are willing to give advice
- Local school leaders who understand your area's context
Speak to your LA for advice on finding networks in your local area.
Leadership CPD from The Key
If your school has access to The Key CPD, take a look at our live, deeply practical leadership courses, including:
More courses for those who are new to headship are coming soon – register your interest.
