ABSTRACT
I have never been a headteacher so perhaps this, of all the chapters, is the most presumptuous. I have, however, observed and spoken to numerous heads, deputies and their colleagues in my time.
The title of the chapter is intentionally ambiguous. There is no doubt that senior staff can create trials and tribulations for their junior colleagues and vice versa. This chapter has certainly not been written exclusively for headteachers and their deputies. Obviously it is intended to be of value to them but, perhaps more importantly, it has been designed to broaden our understanding of staff relationships and stresses and strains within the hierarchical system of primary, first or middle schools.
