ABSTRACT

At some point in their careers, many teachers find themselves with responsibilities for other adults. Around one in eight teachers who enter the primary sector have ended up as either head teachers or deputies; it is certain many did not start out with that aim in mind. Although the percentage of teachers who become heads or deputies in the secondary sector is lower, many teachers acquire additional responsibilities, often as part of a middle tier of leadership. For some, this is as far as they will want to go. Teaching will remain the focus of their professional life, and the ‘politics’ associated with responsibility, let alone the bureaucracy, holds little interest. For others, this first step on the leadership ladder will be the start of a new phase in their careers that will offer a whole new range of opportunities.