Being a Head of Department (HOD) in a secondary school requires balancing executive expectations with teacher support. This guide explores strategies for managing leadership demands, reducing staff burnout, and improving student outcomes. Learn how to navigate school priorities, advocate for your team, and foster a thriving department culture. Read more to discover practical tips for effective educational leadership.
Category: Succeeding as Head of Department
To succeed as a Head of Department in a secondary school you need to have individual qualities, shape an effective team and deliver curriculum in a way to ensure student success.
How to Run Meetings That Inspire and Engage—Not Frustrate—Your Team
Struggling to make departmental meetings more productive? This guide outlines simple strategies to keep meetings focused, engaging, and impactful—so your teachers stay informed, involved, and appreciative of their time.
Suddenly promoted to HOD?
What do you do if you’ve just been promoted to the position from within your team? Congratulations on your new role as a Head of Department (HoD)! Being promoted from within the team is a testament to your dedication, skill, and the trust your colleagues and superiors place in you. Transitioning from being a peer… Continue reading Suddenly promoted to HOD?
The HOD and Their Role in Educational Leadership
Many heads of department focus on managing their teams, but true educational leadership goes beyond administration—it’s about inspiring, guiding, and driving student success. This post explores the key differences between managing and leading, offering practical strategies to help HODs elevate their impact and create a thriving learning environment.
Personal Organization for the HOD
As a head of department in a high school, staying organized and productive is key to your success. With numerous responsibilities (including teaching), deadlines, and projects to manage, it’s essential to have a system in place that helps you stay on top of everything. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the best methods… Continue reading Personal Organization for the HOD
Top 7 Skills and Attributes for a Successful HOD
As a high school head of department, it’s important to possess a diverse set of skills and attributes in order to lead an effective team, develop curriculum, and ultimately improve student results. Here is a brief rundown on some key areas to focus on: In summary, being an effective head of department requires a diverse… Continue reading Top 7 Skills and Attributes for a Successful HOD
Why the HOD Must Create a Powerful Vision
As a head of department in a high school, you play a vital role in shaping the academic success of your students. You are responsible for ensuring that your department aligns with the overall goals and objectives of the school. One way to achieve this is by creating a vision for your department and setting… Continue reading Why the HOD Must Create a Powerful Vision
How well do you know your role?
Do you have a JDF? Not every HOLA gets a neat little document explaining exactly what their job entails. Perhaps you received a generic document that doesn’t take into account the size of your school or the complexity of your circumstances. Nonetheless, a good starting point for doing a good job is knowing exactly what… Continue reading How well do you know your role?