Dialogue in support of Highland Head Teachers

8th October 2015

The Highland Council is to hold further dialogue with Head Teachers and stakeholders on proposals to enhance support for Head Teachers and create sustained management support in Highland schools.

The Council's programme, Highland First, includes a commitment to work collaboratively with Head Teachers to provide them with the best opportunity to maintain standards, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and to drive further improvement.

At a meeting of the Council's Education, Children and Adult Services Committee this week, Members discussed a range of issues impacting on sustainable school management that were gathered from meetings with Primary and Secondary Head Teachers earlier this year in May. The range of issues affecting Head Teachers was categorised in broad headings including management time and support; operational issues; recruitment; and salary disparities.

Members agreed that Education Officials should continue to discuss proposals to address these issues and the support of Head Teachers, with Head Teachers elected Members, Council staff and pupil and parent representatives.

Councillor Drew Millar, Chair of the Council’s ECAS Committee said: "It’s vitally important that we take stock of where we are now with the variety of different models of Head Teacher management arrangements in our schools and how this can be improved for the long term support and sustainability of our senior school management and leadership."

He added: "We are preparing for the inevitable changes in education provision in the future, for which, teachers will need support. Combined with this we need to ensure that teaching and living in the highlands is an attractive prospect to potential employees. The continued dialogue will look at a management structure that will embrace change and be fit for purpose."

Highland Council Leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson added: “We need to provide better support to our Head Teachers, and reduce their classroom commitments so that they can provide better strategic leadership in learning for our schools. The Council is committed to working collaboratively with Head Teachers to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, drive forward further improvement and provide them with the best possible opportunities to maintain standards in Education.”

Further detailed discussions will be held with Head Teachers and stakeholders and the outcomes of those discussions will be reported back to a future meeting of the Council’s ECAS Committee.