How old where you when you had AH/DH/Headship?

In primary...

NQT in 1996 - aged 22!

KS leader in 1999 (4 years - aged 25!)

DHT in 2003 (7 years - aged 28)

HT in 2006 (10 years - aged 31)

2nd HT in 2011 (13.5 years - aged 36)

Only another 30 years of HT to go!

 

Clearly I wasn't old enough to know any better!

 

Loopy - you definitely should!

Personally came into teaching at 36

Had cancer so took me 3 years to get NQT (!)

41 TLR

43 AHT Maternity cover.

46 DHT

 

UPS3 @ 34 (Infant School for 12 years)

TLR/ EY & Key Stage 1 Team Leader @ 35 (through Primary)

Acting DH on secondment @ 37 (Infants)

Acting DH (back in previous school) @ 38

Back to TLR/KS Leader @ 40

AHT @ 41(Junior School with no DHT, HT and 4 AHT's)

Aiming for HT between 43 and 45 (well that's the plan!)

 

After 2 years, I panic if I did the right thing still. I have another 25 years in this job, I love it, but 25 years! Really! It's not all the glory and high standing you think. It's damned hard work, endless sleepless nights, grey hair is a bonus because at least you have something to show for the stress! Don't rush into it. Know you are ready for it. And when you take the final step, get all the advice you can. Find true friends and find governors you can trust and rely upon. It's a brilliant career, just not in the way you imagined!

 

Qualified 22

AH 27

HT 29 at average sized primary school.

Male

Just finished third year as head and still totally love it.

Would definitely still do it at that age if I could go back again. Of course I would have done lots of things differently, but I reckon that would have been the case no matter what age I took the job as it is such a challenging and varied job and so unlike other SMT/teaching roles. The learning curve is pretty much vertical.

I don't think it matters at all on age and length in service. As long as you have the right characteristics and lots of appropriate and varied experiences. Credibility with colleagues is not based on how long you have been a teacher. I was very lucky to work with many immense people in my career and I have, and continue to, stand on the shoulders of giants.

 

HT at 34

 

Started teaching at 22 in a school working with two different HTs for 7 years. Then DHT at 29, HT at 31 of first school. Then did some part time headship work when moved counties and daughter was little which was great. Got 2nd headship at 36. After 7 years I 've just dipped out to do something else. Have set up STORYSHACK but I wouldn't say never to another school. I just wanted to see if I could try something different working with children but more on my own terms maybe in this current climate.....we'll see!

 

I'm secondary, female and have been working internationally since the age of 30. I found both age and sex not in my favour when making the jump from DH to H.

Started teaching at 25

HoD at 27

HoF at 30

DH at 34

Head at 40 (42 now)