Headteachering

A practical guide...with the messy bits left in

Simon Botten

$38.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Bloomsbury Education
09 October 2025

Educational strategies & policy; Organisation & management of education; Primary & middle schools; Teaching skills & techniques; Management: leadership & motivation

The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice. These are the bits about being a headteacher they don’t teach you. Headteachering is part instruction manual, part call to arms and part confession of errors from experienced headteacher, Simon Botten. From being told to ‘f
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* off’ at assembly on his first day and being handed a walkie-talkie for calls to break up fights to managing crisis and the pain of failure after success, Simon tells you the stories you don’t usually hear. Packed with brilliant advice for how to lead a school and multiple case studies from experienced headteachers who have been there and seen it all, this book is an essential guide to what it's really like to be a headteacher, whether you're an aspiring school leader or you're currently in post. Humorous, wise and insightful, this book aims to inspire you to be the best headteacher you can be - practically, technically and emotionally.

By: Simon Botten
Imprint: Bloomsbury Education
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 300g
ISBN: 9781801997089
ISBN 10: 180199708X
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 09 October 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Introduction Case study: Keziah Featherstone 1. Your first 100 days as a headteacher: Learning to swim in a storm Case study: Dr Kulvarn Atwal 2. Creating a compelling vision: Why does your school exist? Case study: Simon Smith 3. The importance of symbols and rituals: The stories we tell ourselves Case study: Sonia Thompson 4. Improving behaviour: Give a little respect Case study: Chris Dyson 5. School improvement: A hundred tiny steps, without the BS Case study: Ross Newman 6. Improving teaching: Making the invisible visible Case study: Claire Savory 7. Spotting systemic problems: Or, a case study on how to fail Case study: Ro O'Reilly 8. Creating a happy and effective staff team: Encouraging the team to follow you Case study: Dr Vic Carr 9. Working with parents: An imperfect guide Case study: Dave McParlin 10. Working with governors: Learning from your critical friends Case study: Katie Hague 11. Strategic financial planning: Making the money add up Case study: Debbie Beazer 12. Managing the stress of the job: Strategic laziness Case study: Krystie Stubbs 13. How will you be remembered?: Whakapapa Case study: Brian Walton

Simon Botten is executive headteacher of Blackhorse Primary and Emersons Green Primary Schools, and Head of Inclusion at The Leaf Trust. He has been a headteacher for around two decades across several different schools. He has also supported headteachers in other schools for the last 15 years, and writes a popular blog on being a headteacher, https://southgloshead.wordpress.com.

Reviews for Headteachering: A practical guide...with the messy bits left in

This is a brilliant book, and its messages are valuable wherever you are in the sector. It’s beautifully written, very funny, full of cliff hangers and laden with insights that come from being deep in the weeds of education. Absolute gold. -- Mary Myatt * Education writer and speaker *