School puts proverb to test

Mar 6 2008 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A SCHOOL in Northumberland is hoping that two heads are better than one after appointing a second headteacher.

Rock Hall School, near Alnwick, has been operating under two headteachers since January in an effort to cut down the strain of the job and allow greater creative thinking.

Original headteacher and school founder Lalage Bosanquet, 58, believes the widely used American co-principal system she learned about on a trip to the States could solve this country’s problem of falling numbers of headteachers.

So she has appointed Avril Lomas, a former colleague and one-time head at Newcastle Central High’s junior school, to share the headteacher’s job with her.

Mrs Bosanquet feels sharing the load with a co-principal could make being a headteacher a more attractive proposition.

Her idea to ease the burden of headship has come at a time when an estimated 65% of headteachers are approaching retirement in the next five years and not enough younger teachers are coming forward to replace them. She said: “We have got to start thinking outside the box and we have to start experimenting with new ways of doing things.

“I think this depends on finding two people who have complementary strengths. Then you need to work closely with the governing body, the parents and staff.

“But the huge advantage is that the school gets an equivalent six days of headship by two people who are not stressed and exhausted and that both heads have that crucial missing ingredient – thinking time.

“Furthermore, as Avril says, you have time to ‘act on the think’.”

Heads are now asked to deal not only with children’s learning, but also the scrutiny of Ofsted inspections, health and safety, special needs education, government initiatives and their budget.

And in small schools the pressure is intensified, with heads having less support and yet being expected to teach a class several days each week.

At Rock, an independent school which has 67 pupils aged three to 13, the system is proving a hit.

Mrs Bosanquet and Mrs Lomas, 55, who has also taught at Dame Allan’s School in Newcastle, are trialling a scheme this year in which Avril works two days a week and Mrs Bosanquet four. It is hoped that from September each woman will work two days and they will share the fifth. Responsibilities are being shared out and Mrs Bosanquet is feeling the benefit of an equal partner to carry some of the load and introduce new ideas.

The trial system is proving popular and has caught the eye of other schools. Mrs Bosanquet said: “The parents have been delighted, very supportive, and the children are working it out. There has been some interest from other heads.

“I think the community is very interested and watching to see how we get on. We are working on it – we have not got it sorted quite yet.”