School top job requires a head for humour

The ability to laugh in the face of adversity is not exactly a required qualification for St Helena’s next head teacher, but it might come in handy.

Whoever gets the job – at a salary close to the bottom of the UK scale for heads – should clearly not be afraid of a challenge.

Back in March, a feature on education on this website spoke of:

“…improvement targets that would make many a UK head teacher quail – even without the obstacles faced on a remote island.”

The new head is expected to achieve a 50% increase in the number of students reaching the top A-C grades in five subjects at GCSE – as well as helping to transform St Helena’s entire educational culture.

Which may be the reason the job advert says:

“A well developed sense of humour is advantageous.”

BLOG:

“The school is not that hard to run, if you know what you’re doing… there is no need for metal detectors to screen out knives and guns”  – John Turner’s Random Thoughts blog

SEE ALSO:
Must do better: poor school report spells ‘bleak’ future
St Helena has been ‘utterly enchanting’, says schools chief

LINKS:
Head teacher – job advert
Prince Andrew School
James Greenwood, advisory teacher for St Helena Government