Interim Deputy and Assistant Headteacher

Not every leadership gap needs a new head. We often speak to proprietors who are about to advertise for an interim headteacher when what the setting actually needs is capacity underneath a head who is doing a good job in difficult circumstances.

What does an interim deputy headteacher do?

An interim deputy or assistant headteacher takes defined areas of senior responsibility for a fixed period, working to the substantive head. The remit is narrower than headship and that is the point. Most of the people we introduce take one or two areas and hold them properly rather than holding everything partially.

The areas we are asked for most often are quality of education, behaviour and culture, safeguarding practice below DSL level, SEND systems, and preparing the evidence base for inspection.

Interim deputy or interim headteacher: which do we need?

A useful test is whether the accountability is vacant or simply overloaded. If nobody is holding headship, you need an interim head. If someone is holding it but cannot hold everything else as well, an interim deputy is usually the better appointment.

When is an interim deputy the right appointment?

• The substantive head is in post and effective but carrying more than one person reasonably can
• An inspection has identified specific areas that need dedicated senior attention
• A deputy has left mid year and the head is absorbing two roles
• The setting is going through a restructure, a registration change or a site expansion
• A new substantive head has just started and would benefit from experienced support in their first terms
• A senior leader is on long term absence and internal cover is not sustainable

Is an interim deputy headteacher full time or part time?

Either, and part time is common. Because the remit is narrower than headship, two or three days a week focused on one or two areas often achieves more than five days spread thinly across everything. We would encourage you to decide the pattern from the remit rather than the other way round.

How long does an interim deputy stay?

Usually a term or two, and frequently tied to a specific piece of work rather than to a date. Where the appointment exists to build something, such as a behaviour system or a SEND evidence base, we would encourage you to define the finish line by what has been built rather than by the calendar.

Good practice when appointing an interim deputy

• A written remit naming the two or three areas the interim owns
• Clarity with staff about what the interim can decide and what still sits with the head
• A working relationship agreed with the substantive head before the start date
• Regular time in the diary with the head, not just an open door
• A handover plan that names who will hold each area afterwards

A common misconception

Leaders sometimes worry that bringing in an interim deputy implies the head is not coping. Handled openly it usually reads as the opposite. A proprietor who resources a stretched head is backing their leadership, and staff generally see that clearly.

Questions for leaders and proprietors

• Is our head carrying work that a second senior leader should hold?
• Which two areas would most improve if somebody owned them full time for a term?
• Who will hold those areas once the interim leaves?
• Would part time capacity solve this, or do we need somebody in every day?

How can Jarvis Education help?

We introduce interim deputy and assistant headteachers with real experience of independent special schools and alternative provision. Tell us what the head is currently carrying and we will suggest what kind of appointment would actually relieve it, including if that is not the one you rang about.