Becoming a headteacher is a chance to shape far more than lessons. Headteachers set the direction of a school, build its culture, support staff and create the conditions in which pupils can thrive. It is a demanding career move, but for the right person it can also be one of the most rewarding roles in education.

There is no single timetable for reaching headship. Most people build their experience over several years, moving from classroom teaching into roles with increasing responsibility. This guide explains the typical route in England, the experience employers look for and how to prepare for your first headteacher application.

What does a headteacher do?

A headteacher has overall responsibility for the leadership and management of a school. While the role remains centred on pupils and education, it also involves people leadership, strategy, finance, safeguarding, operations and accountability.

• Day-to-day responsibilities vary according to the size, phase and structure of the school, but commonly include:
• Setting the school’s vision, values and strategic priorities
• Maintaining high expectations for teaching, behaviour and pupil outcomes
• Leading, developing and supporting staff
• Overseeing safeguarding and creating a safe, inclusive culture
• Working with governors or trustees and being accountable for performance
• Managing budgets, staffing, resources, risk and school operations
• Building relationships with pupils, families, other schools and the wider community
• Evaluating the school’s strengths and leading sustainable improvement

The Department for Education’s Headteachers’ Standards group the role around culture and ethos, curriculum and teaching, organisational effectiveness, and governance and accountability. Aspiring heads should therefore seek experience beyond their own classroom or subject area.

What qualifications do you need to become a headteacher?

The usual route begins as a teacher. The National Careers Service says that headteachers generally progress after working as a teacher and gaining several years of experience as a senior leader or deputy head. You will usually need qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in a state school in England, although requirements can differ by school type and employer.

Employers will look at the whole picture: successful teaching, leadership impact, professional conduct, knowledge of statutory responsibilities and readiness to lead a school. Always read the person specification for an individual vacancy rather than assuming every school uses identical criteria.

Do you need the NPQH?

The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is designed for leaders who are, or want to become, headteachers or heads of educational settings. It is a valuable way to strengthen leadership knowledge and demonstrate sustained professional development, but candidates should check the requirements of each post rather than treating it as a universal guarantee or automatic requirement.

Current Department for Education guidance describes the NPQH as an 18-month course involving independent study, group activity and a written assessment. Topics include school culture, teaching, curriculum and assessment, behaviour, SEND, professional development, organisational management, improvement, partnership working, governance and accountability. Funding may be available for eligible teachers and leaders in some state-funded settings.

How to become a headteacher in 8 steps

1. Build a strong foundation as a teacher

Effective headteachers understand teaching and learning. Develop confident classroom practice, learn how pupils make progress and contribute positively to your department, phase or wider school. Ask for constructive feedback and be able to explain how evidence has changed your practice.

Headship is not simply a reward for time served. Schools need leaders who can connect strategic decisions to what happens in classrooms, so credibility as an educator remains important throughout your career.

2. Take on responsibility beyond your classroom

Look for opportunities to lead a defined area. Depending on your phase and setting, this might mean becoming a subject or curriculum lead, head of year, key stage leader, SENCO, pastoral lead or mentor. You could also lead a project such as improving attendance, developing assessment, introducing a new curriculum approach or supporting staff development.

Choose responsibilities that produce meaningful learning, not just an impressive job title. Keep evidence of the problem you addressed, the action you took, how you involved colleagues and what improved as a result.

3. Gain whole-school leadership experience

To move towards headship, you need to understand how different parts of a school connect. Senior leadership roles can develop experience of strategy, safeguarding, staffing, budgets, behaviour, SEND, curriculum, data, improvement planning and communication with governors or trustees.

Seek breadth deliberately. If your experience is strongest in curriculum, for example, look for opportunities to learn about finance, operations or pastoral systems. Shadowing senior colleagues, presenting to governors and participating in school evaluation can all broaden your perspective.

4. Develop your leadership style

Headteachers lead through other people. That requires clarity, integrity and the ability to build trust. Practise setting expectations, listening well, handling difficult conversations and making fair decisions. Learn when to be visible and decisive, and when to create space for others to lead.

Reflect on how you respond under pressure. A sustainable leadership style should combine ambition with empathy, accountability with support, and confidence with a willingness to change your mind when the evidence demands it.

5. Strengthen your knowledge of school improvement

Aspiring heads need to diagnose priorities accurately and implement change carefully. Develop your ability to interpret different forms of evidence, identify underlying causes and select a manageable number of priorities. Successful improvement is rarely a dramatic one-off initiative; it is usually the result of clear routines, staff development, sensible sequencing and consistent follow-through.

When you lead a project, evaluate both impact and implementation. What changed for pupils? Did staff understand the approach? Was workload considered? Could the improvement continue without constant personal oversight?

6. Invest in professional development

Leadership development might include the NPQH, a National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership, coaching, mentoring, peer networks or role-specific training. Choose development that addresses genuine gaps in your knowledge and gives you opportunities to apply learning in practice.

A trusted mentor can be particularly useful. Ask them to challenge your assumptions, help you interpret feedback and expose you to decisions that are not normally visible from your current role.

7. Understand governance and accountability

Headteachers work closely with the people responsible for governance. Learn how your governing body or trust board sets strategic direction, provides challenge and holds leaders to account. Gain experience presenting concise information, answering questions openly and explaining the relationship between actions, resources and outcomes.

You should also understand the statutory and regulatory frameworks relevant to the setting. Safeguarding, equality, SEND, employment, health and safety, finance and data protection are not side issues: they are part of responsible school leadership.

8. Prepare carefully for headteacher applications

Apply when you can show that your experience matches the context of the school, not merely because you feel ready for a promotion. Research the school, its community, published information and stated priorities. Visit if the recruitment process permits it, and ask thoughtful questions.

Your application should connect your leadership evidence to the person specification. Use specific examples and make your contribution clear. At interview, expect to discuss your educational vision, safeguarding, staff culture, improvement priorities, governance and how you would learn the school’s context before making major decisions.

What skills do headteachers need?

• Strong candidates combine educational expertise with organisational and interpersonal skill. Important capabilities include:
• Strategic thinking: turning values and evidence into focused priorities.
• Communication: explaining decisions clearly and listening to different perspectives.
• People leadership: developing staff, building teams and addressing underperformance fairly.
• Sound judgement: making timely decisions with incomplete or competing information.
• Resilience and self-awareness: managing pressure and recognising when to seek support.
• Financial and operational understanding: connecting resources and systems to educational priorities.
• Integrity: acting ethically, accepting accountability and putting pupils’ interests first.

How long does it take to become a headteacher?

There is no fixed number of years. Career progression guidance emphasises that teachers can take on responsibility at different stages and move at a pace suited to their goals. In practice, headteacher candidates normally need substantial teaching and leadership experience, including evidence that they can influence outcomes beyond a single class or team.

Avoid treating speed as the main measure of progress. A broader range of well-chosen experiences can be more valuable than collecting titles quickly. The right time to apply is when you can demonstrate impact, understand the scope of the role and explain why a particular school is the right fit.

Is headship right for you?

Headship brings influence and purpose, but also significant responsibility. Before applying, speak with serving heads, shadow where possible and consider the realities of accountability, workload and decision-making. Think honestly about the aspects of leadership that energise you and the areas in which you will need a strong team or further development.

You do not need to arrive as a finished leader. You do need the humility to keep learning, the courage to make difficult decisions and a clear commitment to serving pupils, staff and the school community.

Ready to take your next step in education leadership?

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Frequently asked questions

Can you become a headteacher without being a deputy head?

Career paths vary, and job titles differ between schools and trusts. However, employers normally expect substantial senior leadership experience. You must be able to evidence the breadth and impact required by the person specification, whether that experience came through deputy headship or another senior role.

Do headteachers still teach?

This depends on the school. Heads in smaller settings may retain a regular teaching commitment, while those in larger schools may focus primarily on leadership. Even without a timetable, headteachers remain responsible for the quality of education.

Is the NPQH worth doing?

It can provide structured, evidence-informed development across key areas of headship and may strengthen an aspiring head’s preparation. Consider the timing, provider, funding arrangements and how you will apply the learning in your current role.

What experience should I include in a headteacher application?

Prioritise examples that show measurable or clearly evidenced impact across a team, phase or whole school. Include how you diagnosed the issue, involved others, implemented change, evaluated the result and learned from the process.

Editorial sources

• Department for Education: Headship national professional qualification – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/headship-national-professional-qualification
• Department for Education: Headteachers’ standards 2020 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-standards-of-excellence-for-headteachers/headteachers-standards-2020
• National Careers Service: Headteacher profile – https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/headteacher
• Get Into Teaching: Career progression in teaching – https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/life-as-a-teacher/teaching-as-a-career/career-progression