Changing of the Guard - new Heads and what to ask your school

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All change! 

What do you do when your school, like Summerfields, announces that the Head is moving on? 

The answer is going to depend on your relationship and view of the head but here are a few things to consider. 

Is your child going into Year Six? 

If so, you need to make sure that whoever is writing 13+ or 11+ school references in the school knows your child. Schools like Dragon have a 'Future Schools' department. Smaller prep schools might rely on the Head with input from Second Masters/Tutors.. find out! 

Has the Head got an extremely close relationship with students? What will be the impact of change on your child? 

Some smaller schools have Heads who really know their students, others take a more CEO approach and your child will have a stronger relationship with the Second Masters/Deputies/Heads of House. Sadly the former style style is fading as schools merge and become bigger so a change will have less of an immediate impact on your child. 

You will need to talk to your child about this might affect them and how to manage changes as they happen. 

My research showed that the year groups which react most strongly to changes in Heads are the Lower Sixth (Y12) and Fourth Form (Y10). Neither group will have public exams coming up and have a bit more time to contemplate changes. In one school, the LVI were furious because the incoming head banned them from going to a certain shop. 

Thoughts for parents: 

Do you think that the Governors are seeking change with their new appointment? 

If the incoming Head has a strong track record of managing change, you may be on the right track.Is your school going co-ed, introducing IB, merging with another school? You may well get an ambiguous answer but there is no harm in asking.

Is the Head staying within the school group? 

This can mean that the Governors want to maintain their existing 'DNA' and the outgoing Head may well take charge of overseeing expansion and the opening of new branches.

  An incoming Head is in an interesting position of authority without knowing any of his or her new subjects and the wise incomer takes time to really understand school and parental culture before jumping in. On the positive side, a new Head who 'walks the halls' and gets to know the school can be a real asset to your child.   

 

 

 

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