Navigating the selection centre
The initial paper application is about demonstrating what you've achieved and how this relates to a new school. When you get to the selection centre, it is also about you as a person. This is where recruitment processes get personal.
If you don't think you can do the job, don't go to the selection centre. If you do think you can do the job, then your behaviour must demonstrate this. There is no middle ground.
The logic is straightforward. If you don't demonstrate confidence in your ability to make a difference in a school, why should governors have confidence in you? After all, they are making what will probably be their single most important decision as a governing body. It's not unreasonable to expect that they might be worried about making the wrong decision and be a little risk averse as a consequence.
Case
study: Martin Quaife, Headteacher, Rydon Community College, West Sussex
I
really feel that my experience outside of teaching has made me the headteacher I am today. I moved on
from a deputy head position to work for the local authority where I developed a much broader perspective
on education and leading, and that has been invaluable to me. I would strongly suggest that anyone thinking
of moving into headship gets as much perspective as they can, through local networks, or reciprocal
arrangements with nearby schools. This is especially important in the case of internal applications,
where teachers can really benefit from stepping away from their school in order to get closer to it.
