Headteachers may have to change school every 5 years

Edinburgh City Council is considering “rotating” headteachers between schools and bringing in controversial “para professionals” in the hope of driving up attainment.

A report, entitled Vision for Schools in Edinburgh, will go before councillors on the city’s education committee today, setting out the local authority’s priorities for the next five years.

The report, which comes a week after it emerged Edinburgh has one of the worst records in Scotland for getting poor children into top universities, will go out to consultation with parents and teachers before a final draft is published in January. It states: “Staff are our most important resource, and investment in their development is key. We want to strengthen support for development of staff including rotation of headteachers so they serve no longer than five to seven years in a particular school.”

The report also proposes the use of “para professionals”, working alongside teachers to help bring a greater range of talent and skills into schools, an idea criticised by the profession when it appeared in a Scottish Government review of teacher employment last year.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), said: “We would be opposed to a compulsory move. There’s been some discussion about teachers moving on a voluntary basis to experience different contexts as part of their professional development – that might be useful.

“But if it was a routine mechanism it would misunderstand collegiate practice in schools by simply moving so-called superheads from one school to another. If you just get moved on after five years, it’s more likely to be disruptive rather than productive.”

Councillor Paul Godzik, Edinburgh’s education leader, said: “We want to make sure we deliver an innovative and forward-thinking approach which gives all our young people the opportunities they need to succeed.”