Headteachers manage schools and create the right conditions for children and staff to achieve their best.


Typical Salary

£56,000 – £138,000

per year

Working Hours

40–48

hours per week

Career Area

Head teachers and principals

View related courses

Day-to-day tasks

As a headteacher, you will:

  • set the school’s values, strategic direction and vision
  •  work closely with students, staff, parents, governors and the community
  •  create a healthy and safe space for learning
  •  develop and monitor the quality of teaching
  •  use data to track performance and produce reports
  •  inspire and motivate staff and students
  •  control school finances and attend meetings, sometimes outside of usual working hours

Skills needed

  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • knowledge of English language
  • leadership skills
  • business management skills 
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

How to get into this role

You can get into this job by working towards this role.

Career progression

There are opportunities to move between different types and sizes of school due to the variety of schools in the UK.

You could also train to be an Ofsted inspector, an education adviser, or become a teacher training lecturer in a college or university.