Headteachers

Headteachers are leading professionals and role models for the communities they serve. Their leadership is a significant factor in ensuring high quality teaching and achievement in schools and a positive and enriching experience of education for pupils. Together with those responsible for governance, they are custodians of the nation’s schools.

The ethics and professional conduct section is at the core of the standards. This outlines the ethics and professional conduct expected of headteachers. It consists of statements that define the behaviour and attitudes which should be expected of headteachers. The standards in section 2 cover interlinked domains of the headteacher’s role all underpinned by the governance and accountability domain:

• Culture and ethos:
  • School culture
  • Behaviour
  • Professional development
• Curriculum and teaching
  • Teaching
  • Curriculum and assessment
  • Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
• Organisational effectiveness
  • Organisational management
  • School improvement
  • Working in partnership

For additional and special educational needs and disabilities, the headteacher must: 

• ensure the school holds ambitious expectations for all pupils with additional and special educational needs and disabilities 
• establish and sustain culture and practices that enable pupils to access the curriculum and learn effectively 
• ensure the school works effectively in partnership with parents, carers and professionals, to identify the additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities of pupils, providing support and adaptation where appropriate 
• ensure the school fulfils its statutory duties with regard to the SEND code of practice

Headteachers’ Standards, 2020 For full standards please see: Headteachers' Standards, 2020