Punishing workload and responsibilities take toll

Being a headteacher is one of the greatest privileges imaginable, but the cost for those very able teachers who might aspire to the job is just too much.

Budgets have been reduced in real terms over many years. Principal teacher and depute teams are slimmer, but more is expected of them. That leads to a lowering of confidence and an increase in frustration of able people to perform to a level they would expect of themselves.

As a leader, much of your time is spent supporting your team’s response to the many challenges of constant change, including curriculum development S1-S6, changes to assessment and qualifications and what can feel like initiative overload. I know very few headteachers who will not exceed their 35-hour contract in just three working days, which poses a real challenge to a healthy worklife balance. The tyranny of e-mails, being a gatekeeper between the local authority and schools, responding to partner agencies such as Education Scotland and the SQA and demands of your time from staff, parents and pupils combine to produce a pressurised workload. l Stephen Miller is head teacher of Denny High School in Stirlingshire.