What Is The Headteacher Pay Scale?
19 Mar, 2025
Interview Questions To Ask a Prospective Headteacher
19 Mar, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- Interview questions to ask a prospective Headteacher.
- Why it’s important to ask a prospective Headteacher these questions.
- Discover more about Headteacher recruitment services.
Preparing for an interview with a prospective Headteacher and looking for insightful questions to ask?
It’s important that you ask a prospective Headteacher the right questions, to be able to assess their leadership style, values and vision for the school.
When interviewing a Headteacher you should be looking to ask questions about their management and leadership style, experience in handling challenging situations and ability to complete critical duties.
To help you, we’re delving into 8 of the most important questions you should be asking a prospective Headteacher in an interview and why you should be asking these questions.
Interview questions to ask a prospective Headteacher
Interview questions to ask a prospective Headteacher:
- How would you describe your leadership / management style?
- How do you handle challenging behaviour from students and staff?
- How would you ensure that staff and student wellbeing is a priority?
- How do you ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all students?
- What experience do you have in managing school budgets?
- Why do you want to be a Headteacher at this school?
- How would you assess the current performance of the school and identify areas for improvement?
- How do you work under pressure?
How would you describe your leadership / management style?
This is an important question to ask as it helps you gather an understanding of a prospective Headteacher’s approach to management and leadership and assess whether it would align with the school's culture. A Headteachers leadership and management style is crucial for setting the tone of the school.
How do you handle challenging behaviour from students and staff?
Effectively handling challenging behaviour from students and staff is of utmost importance and a key aspect of a Headteachers role. This question allows you to understand the Headteachers ability to manage difficult behaviours and situations. It’s important that a Headteacher can effectively resolve conflicts as it helps maintain a positive school environment.
How would you ensure that staff and student wellbeing is a priority?
Staff and student wellbeing should be a priority and Headteachers must know how to prioritise this. By asking this interview question, you will be able to see a prospective Headteacher's commitment to supporting mental health and managing stress. It’s as simple as it goes, having teaching staff that are happy can positively impact student learning.
How do you ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all students?
This is a valuable question to ask a prospective Headteacher as it allows you to get an understanding of their ability to adapt to diverse learners and highlights their commitment to meeting the needs of all students with diverse needs and learning styles. It will also show their understanding of differentiation, accessibility and adaptability in education.
What experience do you have in managing school budgets?
This question will help you assess a prospective Headteacher's financial management skills and ability to prioritise resources to benefit the school. A Headteacher must be able to effectively manage the school budget as this is essential for long-term financial stability. The question also allows you to assess whether they have the necessary experience in managing school budgets.
Why do you want to be a Headteacher at this school?
By asking this question, you can gauge whether the Headteacher has taken the time to research the school and understand its values and mission.
It’s important to find a Headteacher who is passionate about leading the specific school rather than just seeking the Headship title. Their response should demonstrate that they are committed to using their skills and experience to further drive school improvement.
How would you assess the current performance of the school and identify areas for improvement?
This question helps assess the Headteachers ability to identify areas within the school that need improvement. A Headteacher needs to be proactive in evaluating school performance and develop strategies that will enhance the schools quality whether that be the school culture or teaching quality.
How do you work under pressure?
The role of a Headteacher can be demanding at times, managing multiple responsibilities and handling high-stress situations, so it’s important that they can work well under pressure. A prospective Headteacher's answer will show you their ability to stay calm in challenging situations and how well they can manage pressure.
Struggling to recruit a Headteacher?
As a specialist Headteacher recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools, Multi Academy Trusts, Alternative Provisions and Pupil Referral Units (PRU) with their recruitment needs.
If you’re struggling to fill a Headteacher vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
- North of the UK - Jamie Heath
- South of the UK - Dane Matthews
Headteacher jobs
If you’re searching for your next Headteacher position, why not take a look at the latest Headteacher jobs, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Meet Jamie Heath
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
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