Ben’s story: I don't know how this job is doable unless things change

The reality of leading a primary school today

I've worked in education for 24 years and have spent the last 16 years as a headteacher. I lead a primary school with a nursery, and despite the challenges, I still genuinely love the profession.

Teaching wasn't originally part of my plan. In fact, I was determined not to become a teacher. But while studying, I spent time lecturing and discovered how much I enjoyed working with and supporting young people. A former teacher of mine encouraged me to try primary education, believing it would suit me, and he was right.

One of the things I still enjoy most about education is that no two days are ever the same.

It's never boring. Every day brings different challenges, different decisions and different opportunities to make a difference. It keeps you engaged and constantly learning.

However, the job has become significantly more challenging over the last decade. The increase in pupil need, financial pressures and growing accountability demands have created a perfect storm for schools and school leaders.

Doing more with less

Funding is one of the biggest challenges we face. While school budgets may appear larger than they were years ago, the reality is that costs have risen dramatically and schools are being asked to do much more.

To remain financially sustainable, I've had to make difficult decisions about staffing and redundancies.

We've had to reduce support staff and find efficiencies wherever we can. The result is that teachers and support staff are carrying heavier workloads and working with increasing levels of complexity and need.

The rise in children requiring additional support has been particularly significant. We're seeing more pupils with complex SEND needs coming to our setting, yet the funding and specialist provision isn’t available.

Many schools are trying their absolute best, but increasingly we're being expected to meet needs that require specialist services and support that isn’t available.

Schools filling the gaps

Over the years, I've watched support services become increasingly stretched.

Today, schools are often expected to take responsibility for issues that would previously have been supported more directly by health, social care or mental health services.

We're helping with safeguarding, mental health, health needs, family support and much more. Schools have always cared about children holistically, but we're increasingly filling gaps left elsewhere in the system.

I've got two members of staff in our pastoral team who are also DSLs with me. And one's part time, one's full time. We used to have one person doing that full time. We're now up to seven days and we still don't have enough time really to do all the things we would like. Because it's also the health side; we're being asked to do more physio, administering of medication, managing of other children's medical needs, things that health professionals should be doing.

Even when services exist on paper, accessing meaningful support can be difficult and slow. As a result, schools are often left managing situations that require expertise and resources beyond what we have available.

The impact on my mental health

The cumulative pressure of school leadership has had a profound impact on my mental health.

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with PTSD related to work and had to take time away from school.

During private counselling, I was asked to write down significant stressful events from my career.

I filled an entire side of A4 with incidents and could have kept going.

Over the years I've supported staff through bereavements, responded to serious safeguarding situations, dealt with medical emergencies, and helped families through unimaginable tragedies.

These experiences stay with you.

I paid for private counselling because I couldn't access support quickly enough elsewhere. Therapy, including EMDR, helped me return to work, but the pressures haven't disappeared.

Today, I am back in counselling.

The pressure of the job has a massive impact on your mental health and a massive impact on your family life.

The problem with accountability

If I could change one thing about the education system, it would be accountability.

I believe schools should absolutely be held accountable. External review and challenge are important. But I don't believe the current system supports improvement or wellbeing.

We need strong accountability, but it should be a process that helps schools get better, not one that leaves leaders feeling like they're standing on the edge of a cliff.

The fear and anxiety associated with inspections can be overwhelming. For leaders already carrying significant responsibilities, the process often feels punitive rather than developmental.

Having experienced PTSD, I found inspections particularly challenging.

You can have a robust accountability system that is also supportive. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.

I would like to see a model where experienced professionals work alongside schools over time, providing challenge, support and constructive feedback. The goal should be continuous improvement, not fear.

Valuing education staff

One of my biggest concerns is the impact that increasing pressure is having on education staff.

Schools are full of dedicated professionals who care deeply about children and communities. Yet too often staff feel undervalued, overstretched and blamed for issues that are beyond their control.

When people feel their efforts aren't recognised, it inevitably affects their wellbeing.

We're asking educators to do more and more while facing increasing scrutiny and diminishing support. That's not sustainable.

What needs to change

I remain deeply committed to education and to the children, families and staff I serve. I still believe schools transform lives every day.

But meaningful change is urgently needed.

We need better support for children with additional needs. We need appropriate funding. We need greater trust in educators. And we need an accountability system that helps schools improve while protecting the wellbeing of the people working within them.

Almost all schools are doing a really good job. We need a system that helps us get even better, not one that leaves people feeling beaten down.

Right now, many school leaders – including myself - are questioning how long they can continue under current pressures.

As for me, unless things change substantially, I don't know how this job is doable at the moment. The only reason I've been able to keep going is because of the experience I've built up over many years. I'm deeply committed to the profession, but we can't keep asking people to carry this level of pressure indefinitely.

*name changed to protect identity

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