Define leadership requirements before recruiting head teachers, governors advised

Governors should more clearly define the leadership qualities they are looking for before appointing a head teacher, the National College for School Leadership has warned.

In 2004, one in five schools trying to recruit a head teacher failed to fill the post, according to the National Association of Head Teachers.

And the college’s interim report says better research would enable governors to identify the right candidate for the school’s particular needs where more than one candidate meets the required standard.

Geoff Southworth, the college’s director of research, said: “Defining the needs of the school has consistently emerged as the most significant part of the recruitment process.

“Governors must have a clear and consistent view on what they are looking for, if they are to increase their chances of finding it.”