How to become a head teacher or principal

Official title: Head teachers and principals

Also called: Principal, Head master, Head teacher, Head mistress, Head of school

Head teachers and principals plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the running of schools, colleges and other educational establishments.

Main tasks

• Sets the school's values, provides leadership to staff and helps create an encouraging environment for learning
• Considers staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term needs
• Leads or contributes to decision making processes regarding curricula, budgetary, disciplinary and other matters
• Monitors schools performance and sets goals for student's academic achievements
• Liaises with parents and pupils
• Assists with recruitment, public relations and marketing activities
• Coordinates and maintains quality assurance procedures

How to become one

Entrants usually possess a degree or equivalent qualification and have gained significant relevant experience in the field of education. Specialist training courses to become a head teacher are available. A DBS check may be required.

Ways in

• University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £72,192 a year The middle half earn £59,307 to £83,623.
• About 33,300 people work in this job now, and about 36,300 are projected by 2035. (+9%)

Related jobs

• Education managers
• Education advisers and school inspectors
• Early education and childcare services managers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a head teacher or principal?

Entrants usually possess a degree or equivalent qualification and have gained significant relevant experience in the field of education. Specialist training courses to become a head teacher are available. A DBS check may be required.

How much does a head teacher or principal earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £72,192 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £59,307 to £83,623.

Is a head teacher or principal a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 9% by 2035, from about 33,300 to about 36,300 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a head teacher or principal?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.