NCSL to free up headteachers' time

TdaNews Direct
Published: 12 May, 2008

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) is to launch a new trial into freeing-up headteachers' time.

At a conference last week, the NCSL revealed that headteachers could be relieved of some of their administrative burdens by creating new roles for "highly-skilled" school business managers.

Geoff Southworth OBE gave a welcoming address at the conference. He said: "This initiative could open up the opportunity of every school having access to a highly-skilled school business manager to make the headteacher's job both more effective and attractive."

He added that the NCSL believes the scheme could bring benefits to primary school leaders in particular, who have seen their role "grow significantly in recent years".

The organisation plans to run pilot schemes of the initiative at six clusters of schools in the same number of regions, which will see 24 headteachers taking part in the project.

In related news, schools minister Jim Knight has launched a review into school governance this week.

He will chair a working group that will advise government ministers on how best to equip school governors with information on how to do their jobs better.