The Headship Game: The Challenges of Contemporary School Leadership

Being an effective headteacher requires a combination of leadership skills. What does an aspiring head need to know to win the ‘headship game’?

Tessa Atton and Brian Fiddler focus on particular pressure points and key issues that can be particularly problematic and suggest ways of dealing with them. Comparisons are made between headships and chief executive roles of other organisations and extensive examples are included from current headteachers to illustrate aspects of the job which they find most challenging.

The authors also examine the career of headship from application to retirement and emphasize the need to learn about leadership before becoming a head. Using examples of current headship practice, they suggest ways of developing good practice further. Some of the issues covered in this practical guide include:

* development of leadership thought
* achieving headship
* selecting and supporting headteachers
* understanding the demands of contemporary headship
* after headship.

The Headship Game will be a valuable resource for current and aspiring headteachers, deputy heads and those on NPQH courses.

Brian Fidler is Professor at the School Improvement and Leadership Centre at the University of Reading Tessa Atton is a trainer and a former Acting Headteacher.