In October 2023, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) released its report “The influence of head teachers on their schools”. the EPI assesses the impact of headteachers on school performance in England, and the mechanisms through which headteachers influence performance.

Some of the key implications include:

• Headteachers have a significant impact on school performance. The report found that replacing an ineffective headteacher with an effective headteacher can increase pupil attainment by an average of two GCSE grades across all subjects. This suggests that investing in the development and retention of effective headteachers is a cost-effective way to improve school performance.
• Headteachers influence school performance through a variety of mechanisms. The report identified a number of these mechanisms, including: creating a positive school culture, setting high expectations, managing staff effectively, and allocating resources effectively. These findings suggest that there is no single “silver bullet” for improving school performance, and that a variety of strategies are needed to support effective headteachers.
• There are disparities in the effectiveness of headteachers. The report found that some schools have much more effective leaders than others. This suggests that there is a need to identify and support aspiring headteachers, and to provide them with the training and development they need to be successful.
• The government should prioritise enhancing the quality of school leadership. The report emphasises that this would be a cost-effective way to improve school performance. This could involve investing in leadership training and development, providing more support to new headteachers, and creating incentives for effective headteachers to work in challenging schools.

The report also considered headteacher effectiveness and Ofsted outcomes and showed that headteacher effectiveness had minimal impact on this. For Secondary Schools with more effective headteachers, the report suggested an extremely small positive difference in receiving better Ofsted grades. However, in Primary Schools, more effective headteachers did not equate to better Ofsted grades.

Elsewhere, the report considered the impact of headteacher gender or ethnicity. The report found no evidence that “recruiting headteachers from a particular gender or ethnicity will benefit pupils of a particular gender or ethnic group, nor that it affects the gender and ethnic composition of the workforce.” (P4).

Overall, the 2023 EPI report provides valuable insights into the role of headteachers in school performance. The report’s findings suggest that there is a need for a concerted effort to improve the quality of school leadership, as this is a critical factor in determining whether schools are successful in meeting the needs of all pupils.

TT Education supports headteachers at all stages of their career to develop and sustain high-quality practices, as well as their own confidence, expertise, wellbeing and continuous professional development. There are many ways that headteacher effectiveness can be developed.

1. Provide high-quality leadership training and development: investment in these programmes can equip aspiring and current headteachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to lead their schools effectively. These programmes should focus on developing a range of leadership competencies.

TT Education recently announced its National Certificate in School Improvement Practice. This innovative Level 7 two-year qualification supports headteachers (and those in school improvement positions) to develop their knowledge and skills across a range of modules such as:

• Strategic leadership and multiple school improvement
• Leading and sustaining agile educational transformation
• Building high performing teams
• Building strategically and operationally resilient organisations
• Strategic development of high-quality curriculum, teaching and learning
• Cultivating inclusive learning and working environments

2. Offer ongoing support and professional development: headteachers should have access to this kind of support throughout their careers. This could include:

• Mentoring and coaching – these programmes can provide headteachers with the opportunity to learn from experienced peers and receive personalised feedback.
• Action research – these projects can help headteachers develop their own leadership skills and knowledge, as well as to identify and address specific challenges in their schools.
• Networking opportunities – other headteachers can provide school leaders with a valuable support network, and the opportunity to share best practices.

3. Create a culture of collaboration and shared leadership: this kind of culture can empower headteachers to share leadership responsibilities with their staff, which can help to reduce their workload and improve decision-making. This could involve:

• Establishing leadership teams – leadership teams can provide headteachers with a sounding board for ideas, and help to spread leadership responsibility across the school.
• Delegating tasks – headteachers should encourage staff to take on tasks whenever possible, freeing up their own time to focus on more strategic leadership activities.
• Empowering staff to take ownership of their work – headteachers should create an environment where staff feel empowered to take ownership of their work and make decisions about how best to meet the needs of pupils.

4. Provide headteachers with the necessary resources and support. This could include:

• Adequate staffing levels – this allows headteachers to focus on their leadership duties.
• Access to technology and data – this helps headteachers make informed decisions about their schools. With increasing sophistication and access to technology come a wider range of methods for supporting both teaching and learning, and other aspects like managing workload. Digital programmes such as TT Education’s School CPD Tracker can support the ease and efficiency of performance management, whilst providing high-quality processes.

5. Hold headteachers accountable for their performance. This could involve:

• Regular performance reviews to discuss headteacher progress, and identify areas for improvement.
• Performance-related pay – governors and trusts might consider this as a way to reward headteacher performance.
• Intervention in underperforming schools – where schools are consistently underperforming, there should be a clear process for intervention and support.

By implementing these strategies, we can enhance the effectiveness of headteachers and create a more equitable and successful education system for all children and young people.