Head teacher

Headmaster redirects here. For the type of Transformers, please see Headmaster (Transformers). For headmaster in Japanese martial arts, see soke (martial arts).

A head teacher, headmaster or headmistress (all often referred to simply as the head) is the most senior teacher in a school in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

In Scotland such officials are sometimes known as the "rector", most commonly in independent schools. In North America such officials are usually known as the "school principal" but the term "headmaster" may be used in more exclusive or private schools.

The terms "headmaster" and "headmistress" used to be the standard throughout both the state and private sectors, with "head teacher" usually only being used to refer to them collectively. In recent years, however, it has become usual to officially use the gender-neutral term in state schools. Nevertheless, the gender-specific terms are still in common use, and may be in more formal use in some schools, particularly the remaining state grammar schools. Independent schools usually still officially use the gender-specific terms. Some use other terms, such as "high master".

While some head teachers still retain some teaching responsibility, most of their duties are managerial and pastoral.

A school usually also has a deputy head (occasionally "depute-head" in Scotland) and several assistant heads, who act as assistants or subordinates to the head teacher. Commonly, a state school will have between two and six assistant head teachers (AHTs). Each AHT is normally in charge of a specific area of the school, such as administration, staff appraisal, first year, sixth form, discipline etc. Normally AHTs only have a small teaching role within the school.

Independent schools frequently use other titles for officials under the head teacher.

The official term for the third most senior teacher in state schools (as in many independent schools) was second master or second mistress, but these terms have generally gone out of use in the state sector.

Some famous head teachers in fiction

*M. W. B. Pemberton-Oakes (aka "the Archbeako"), the headmaster of Linbury Court School in the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge
*The Demon Headmaster, from the books by Gillian Cross
*Albus Dumbledore, featured in the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling
*Headmaster Cid of Balamb Garden in Final Fantasy VIII
*Miss Trunchbull, the child-hating headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School in Roald Dahl's Matilda

See also

*Rector
*School principal
*Schoolmaster

External link

*National Association of Head Teachers (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)