The Price on Your Head - Recruiting a Head Overseas

To a UK school looking to collaborate in establishing a co-branded school overseas, selecting the right person for Headship is always a challenge but is vitally important. Their approach will have a profound and lasting impact on the ethos, as well as the academic and commercial success, of the school.

In this article, Doug Locke of VWV and David Binney of TES Prime consider the issues presented to UK schools by the recruitment of Heads of international schools.

When a UK school collaborates on a project to establish a co-branded school overseas, it typically enters into detailed project agreements which set the framework within which the new school will operate. Working within that framework the new school's Head will have an important role in, for example:

• shaping the ethos of the new school, and ensuring that it accurately replicates the ethos of the UK school
• dealing calmly and effectively with unexpected events
• managing the long-term evolution and development of the new school

So the provisions in project agreements that deal with how Heads are appointed and dismissed have a particular importance - both for the early stages of the new school and its long-term success. In our experience, the following points are important:

• The agreement should set out a clear mechanism for selecting and appointing the Head - and his or her successors. That mechanism should take account of the following:
  
  - ideally, the Head should be acceptable to both parties, but it is vital that the mechanism does not allow the appointment of a Head who is not acceptable to the UK school
  
  - the agreements should allow a Head to get on with the job without undue interference from investors
   
• The Head's employer should be the company that operates the international school. Generally, the employer should not be the UK school or a trading company of the UK school.
   
• In extremis, the project agreements should set out a clear mechanism for removing the Head. That mechanism should take account of the following:
  
  - the Head should not be removed without the consent of the UK school
  
  - neither the UK school nor its trading company should be liable for any employment claims or costs resulting from the Head's departure
   
• The project should be structured so that Head will not be entitled to transfer the employment to the UK school or its trading company if the international school closes.

The extent to which the process of selecting, appointing and removing a Head is repeated for other senior positions in the project agreements should also be considered.

Once the Head has been appointed, it will be important for the Head to spend time getting to know the UK school, and then for the UK school to keep in close contact. The terms of the project agreements can help to set the expectations for that relationship. For example, a Head could be required to report to the UK school with development plans and progress reports. The agreements should also oblige the Head to allow inspectors from the UK school to work unhindered in the new school, and the Head must understand that he or she must work within the rules set out in the project agreements (for example, as regards curriculum, class sizes etc).

A new Head will want to be instrumental in the development of the school site and raising its profile in the local market. Parents will often be reluctant to sign their children up for a school before meeting the Head. So in planning the timeline leading to the opening of the new school, one has to factor in the duration of the selection process and the Head's notice period at their current school. The recruitment of the Head should be the first issue on the project plan.

It seems obvious to say but the recruitment procedure for schools should be thorough and robust; ensuring best practice in adhering to the principles of safer recruitment and transparency, issues which become ever more important on the international scene. Where external support is not utilised the school should take on board somebody with expertise in senior recruitment, together with a current or former Head to oversee the process. Those choosing to take shortcuts risk neglecting their responsibilities to ensure excellence in all aspects of the school, and evidence suggests that appointments made without due process are far more likely to end in tears.

In an increasingly competitive environment, the personal characteristics of the school, the professional support of the Board of Governors and the effective management of the recruitment process – from advert to appointment – all play heavily on a decision to accept an offer of employment or not. It is essential during the recruitment process for the Board to clearly identify the ethos of the school, to be honest about the challenges they face, and to articulate the strategic direction of the school, its ambitions and its targets for development. The school should also offer real support where appropriate in helping potential candidates to understand the country and its cultures, and the practical professional and family issues that will be important.

It is worth remembering that for many candidates career choices are rarely based on financial incentives; the best Heads are motivated by the desire to leave a legacy and to have a positive impact on the school community. Good Heads pride themselves on their professional and personal devotion to a school; the commitment of senior members of staff is a unique aspect of our sector, which should be supported and encouraged.

Those leading the recruitment process need to understand that there are usually two categories of strong candidates; pioneers and expatriates. Pioneers are motivated by the challenge of leading in difficult circumstances. Expatriate Heads are looking to lead a school which is more conventional, together with a comfortable lifestyle. Both kinds of candidate can bring immense value, and often offer very similar skills and experience, simply seeking different challenges. What will mark them apart is the particular need of the school; it is the role of the recruitment panel to understand this difference and focus the search accordingly.

Underpinning a successful appointment is a willingness to consider ‘left-field’ candidates and not to pre-empt an outcome. Sourcing a smaller field of highly qualified, possibly challenging candidates to interview is much better for a school than receiving a large number of average applications. It is the role of the appointment panel, whether they use external support or not, to provide as much information, and possibly choices for the Board as they need to make a successful appointment.

For more information, please contact Doug Locke in our Independent Schools team on 0117 314 5602.