Do you need a Headship qualification?

Holding the Standard for Headship by completing a headship qualification is a prerequisite for teachers taking up their first permanent headteacher post in Local Authority and grant-aided schools in Scotland.

This became a prerequisite on 1 August 2020, under the Head Teachers Education and Training Standards (Scotland) Regulations, 2019.

There are two exemptions:

1. Permanent headteachers who were appointed to a position in a school on, or prior to, 1 August 2020.
2. Education authorities, or the managers of grant-aided schools, can appoint a person to a headteacher post, who has not attained the Standard for Headship, on a temporary basis for a period not exceeding 30 months after 1 August 2020.

The Scottish Government has no plans at present to require that teachers appointed to headteacher posts in independent schools should hold the Standard for Headship.