7. What do you do if one leader wants to leave?
It is important that the answer to this question is agreed before the co-headteachers are
appointed. Again, different schools have answered this question in different ways.
The key options are:
A. Since, the co-headteachers were appointed as a pair, the headteacher role is considered vacant and the job is readvertised. The remaining co-headteacher can apply for it alone or with a new co-headteacher.
B. The remaining co-headteacher is offered the role of full-time single headteacher before
the job is advertised as vacant.
8. How do you manage disagreements between the co-headteachers?
Again, it is important that the protocol for this is agreed before the co-headteachers are appointed. We recommend, an external co-leadership coach is employed through the professional development budget. Please contact the Shared Headship Network to support welcome@sharedheadshipnetwork.com
The co-heads should meet their coach both individiually and as a pair on a monthly basis for the first year of the coheadship to nip any potential disagreements in the bud. In addition to this, the
chair of governors, should meet the co-headteachers both together and separately termly if not already included in line-management process. As part of preventing disagreements, It is essential that there is clarity between the coheads, the
governors and staff on how the job-share is structured. We strongly recommend a full job-share with both heads equally sharing responsibility for all or almost all key areas of the school. In our experience, where shared leadership positions have not worked, it has been due to the role being structured as a ‘job-split’; each co-head retaining separate areas of the responsibility such as pastoral or curriculum in the manner of two deputy heads rather than a headteacher.
9. How can governors support shared leaders once appointed?
All headteachers and senior leaders appointed to a new school need strong support and challenge from their governing body. In the case of co-headship, governors can best support through:
● A rigorous application and interview process to ensure coheads begin their appointment with a high level of self-awareness and clear job-share structure.
● Positively messaging the new co-headship to staff, parents and other stakeholders.
● Ensuring clear structures are in place for regular, frank communication between the co-headteachers and holding them accountable for this.
● Ensuring clear protocols in place in case of serious disagreement, leave or leaving the jobshare.
The structure of the job-share should be clear. If there are to be any areas where one head-teacher takes primary responsibility, for example in line-management of particular staff, these should be clearly agreed upon.
Equally important, the method of communication between the co-headteachers and between the headteachers and stakeholders including staff, students and governors. We strongly recommend that the co-headteachers share an office and an email account. This encourages stakeholders to see the co-headteachers as united.