Special offer 

Jumpstart your hiring with a £100 credit to sponsor your first job.*

Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed are 65% more likely to report a hire than non-sponsored jobs**
  • Visibility for hard-to-fill roles through branding and urgently hiring
  • Instantly source candidates through matching to expedite your hiring
  • Access skilled candidates to cut down on mismatched hires

Head Teacher Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
4 min read

A 8613467administrator10.28admin9.8school administrator7.12receptionist5.15school2.9918622922436414000.0053564.64119000.00YEARLY46085342025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Head Teacher, or Headmaster creates a positive and appropriate learning environment through the management of a school. Their duties include helping deliver the highest standard of education to the students, supporting Teachers and staff and ensuring an overall safe and successful school environment.

8613467administrator10.28admin9.8school administrator7.12receptionist5.15school2.9918622922436414000.0053564.64119000.00YEARLY46085342025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Head Teacher duties and responsibilities

A Head Teacher must be prepared to face a wide range of challenges and responsibilities daily. They should be able to communicate in public and spend time on their own completing administrative assignments. Their main duties and responsibilities include:

  • Creating an academic programme for students that meets national standards
  • Working closely and communicating with students’ parents
  • Helping assess students’ needs and development
  • Selecting, training, supporting and assessing staff
  • Providing guidance to staff to help resolve issues with students
  • Using data to track student performance and produce reports
  • Working with external advisors and school governors
  • Controlling school finances
  • Ensuring the safety of all children in the institution/programme

Hire your next Head Teacher today

Post a job

Hire your next Head Teacher today

Post a job
Close

Head Teacher Job Description Examples:

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Create a culture of innovation
Download our free step-by-step guide on encouraging healthy risk-taking
Get the guide

What does a Head Teacher do?

A 8613467administrator10.28admin9.8school administrator7.12receptionist5.15school2.9918622922436414000.0053564.64119000.00YEARLY46085342025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Head Teacher leads the staff and students of a school. They help create the curriculum and overall social environment that the Teachers and students must adhere to. They work closely with staff to ensure the school provides exceptional education, physical health, emotional well-being and parental involvement services to all enrolled students. Their daily tasks may vary greatly and can include anything from working directly with Teachers, creating a new syllabus to having cost control meetings dedicated to maintaining the school budget.

Head Teacher skills and qualifications

A Head Teacher should be professional, decisive and able to think quickly in order to take responsibility for the health and well-being of staff and students. A successful Head Teacher candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that typically include: 

  • Business management skills
  • Openness and flexibility
  • The ability to work well with others
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • The ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • Leadership skills
  • The ability to teach and design courses
  • Excellent verbal and communication skills

Head Teacher experience requirements

A candidate must have experience working as a Teacher in a school as well as several years of experience as a Deputy Head or Senior Manager of a school. Some employers accept previous experience as an Ofsted Inspector or an Education Adviser as appropriate qualifications. In order to further their professional development, many applicants will have taken courses with the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership or the National Professional Qualification for Headship. Applicants will have had very different experiences due to the variety of schools within the UK, but all must have some experience where they provided leadership and guidance to an educational institution.

8613467administrator10.28admin9.8school administrator7.12receptionist5.15school2.9918622922436414000.0053564.64119000.00YEARLY46085342025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Head Teacher education and training requirements

Applicants must have obtained a university degree in one of the following areas: Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. If they possess a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, they must also obtain a Qualified Teacher Status from the Department for Education. Many graduates complete a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship in the specific area where they want to specialise. After spending a few years as a Teacher within a school, an applicant should show progression to a more managerial role such as Deputy Head or Senior Manager.

Head Teacher salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Head Teacher is £45,904 per year in the United Kingdom. Salary is usually dependent on experience, location and company.

Job description samples for similar positions

If this position is not quite what you’re looking for, here are some other job description samples that may be a better fit:

Create a culture of innovation
Download our free step-by-step guide on encouraging healthy risk-taking
Get the guide

Head Teacher job description FAQs

Two chefs, one wearing a red headband, review a laptop and take notes at a wooden table in a kitchen setting.

Hire your next Head Teacher today

Post a job

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

No search results found