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Forty-one per cent of the overall teaching profession have sights set on becoming head

More than 180,000 teachers, 41 per cent of the overall teaching population, have their sights set on becoming a head and one in 10 of these are determined to get there within the next three years.

According to research commissioned by the National College, women’s drive to climb the career ladder is increasing, with more than a third (36 per cent) now eyeing up a headteacher position.

These positive results come at a time when school leadership is facing a demographic challenge, which may mean many heads retire before 2012, and demonstrate a large number of aspiring school leaders waiting in the wings to replace retiring heads.

The majority of teachers see the headteacher role positively (75 per cent), up from 71 per cent in 2008, indicating the reasons behind this increase in aspiration. Well over half of all these (55 per cent) agree heads provide examples of good leadership.

Moral purpose is what’s motivating two-thirds of determined aspiring heads to consider the role, whilst for four in 10 of those who aspire it’s the ambition to make a difference to children's lives.

Read press release: Headship ambition at record level

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