Head teacher shortage 'looming'

Teachers say heads face too much pressure

More than half of England's head teachers could retire in the next four years, the government's chief advisor on school leadership has said.

Steve Munby, the head of the National College of School Leadership (NCSL), said a demographic bulge means many heads are now approaching 60.

This would be a huge challenge, but also an opportunity to improve, he said at his organisation's conference.

Suggestions non-teachers could take on the role have been attacked by unions.

The NCSL was set up by the government to develop school leadership.

'Baby boomers'

Mr Munby told head teachers at its annual conference in Birmingham: "55% of current heads are likely to have retired by 2012.

"That is a huge challenge to the system but also a great opportunity to further improve leadership in this country. But we have to ensure that leadership is attractive and that our leadership models are sustainable."

The problem is seen to be that "baby boomers" born in the 1950s - when the population "bulged" are now approaching retirement.

Part of the answer, Mr Munby suggests, could be moving away from the idea of small country schools each having an individual head teacher.

"Frankly, I am increasingly convinced that the notion of having one head teacher in each small primary school trying to shoulder all the responsibilities is a model that is no longer tenable or sustainable.

"I think we should be moving towards heads of school and strategic leaders or executive heads of collaboratives and federations."

'Intense pressure'

He has also floated the idea of schools being led by people other than teachers.

A poll for the organisation carried out by Mori found that most people think the best people to run schools are teachers. 28% said only teachers should be promoted to the head teacher role but 65% said people in the other professions could run schools.

That suggestion has angered teaching union, the NUT.

Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the union, said: "There is a problem with head teacher recruitment, Steve Munby is right to highlight it. He is quite wrong to suggest that the solution is to appoint non teachers to such jobs.

"Being a head teacher is about leading learning. The NUT believes that to lead a learning community a background in teaching is key.

"There is no shortage of classroom teachers who could become headteachers. It is just that the pressures heads face are intense and unreasonable. The cause of low recruitment to headship has to be removed. The second class sticking plaster of people who have no background in teaching is not a solution."

The problem is not confined to England. Last year the National Association of Head teachers warned that in Wales, two-thirds of heads could retire in the next decade.

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