Too few want to be headteachers

Not enough teachers see the role of headteacher as attractive

Only 8% of teachers want to become a headteacher, a new report has claimed.

Commissioned by the Scottish government the report also found that only 2% of teachers are studying for the Scottish Qualification for Headship.

Factors which put teachers off included the application and interview process, lack of support, and "negative perceptions" of the job.

Actions from the report included making the headteacher's role clearer, to encourage more applicants.

Over 2,000 headteachers were surveyed for the report and the findings discovered that most headteachers worked more than 50 hours a week and 70% said they were concerned by the "demanding" nature of the job.

For all teachers - and in particular headteachers - the role can at times be emotionally demanding and this report also highlights the pressure that they can experience Fiona Hyslop MSP Education Secretary

Less than half of heads (46.8%) said they would recommend the headship role to their junior colleagues.

Nearly three-quarters - 72% - of headteachers surveyed, were also concerned at the impact of the job on their non-work lives and the same proportion were concerned at "public grading of school performance".

But the researchers said their "overwhelming" finding was that however challenging and stressful, heads saw their job as a privilege and a valued chance to make a difference to children's learning.

The main factor influencing their job satisfaction was autonomy - which was decided by "the interplay of conditions" within the control of heads, councils and the Scottish government.

Job description

The research teams from the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Cambridge discovered that central and local government have yet to take adequate action to tackle the problems which deter applicants.

One of the main findings was that there needed to be more accurate and detailed descriptions of the job when posts are advertised.

Of those surveyed, many teachers underestimated the time headteachers had to give to teaching and learning and overestimated the time devoted to finance and budget.

The application and interview process was also highlighted as a potentially problematic area that is hampering headteacher recruitment.

Local authority officers stated that the typical one-hour interview was often inadequate and authorities are increasingly trialling more in-depth procedures for preparation and selection.

Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "What this report shows is that, overwhelmingly, headteachers see their position as a privileged opportunity to encourage pupils in their learning and to help them develop.

"For all teachers - and in particular headteachers - the role can at times be emotionally demanding and this report also highlights the pressure that they can experience."

She said: "Many of the report recommendations are for local authorities to consider and the Scottish Government will work with councils, unions, the Association of Directors of Education Scotland, professional associations and other partners to take these forward."