Headteachering: The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher
By (Author) Simon Botten
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Education
3rd February 2026
United Kingdom
Primary and Secondary Educational
Non Fiction
Management: leadership and motivation
Educational strategies and policy
Primary and middle schools
Paperback
192
Width 153mm, Height 234mm
The honest guide to the messy job of being a headteacher, including real stories of mistakes made and lessons learned, case studies and practical advice.
These are the bits about being a headteacher they dont teach you. Headteachering is part instruction manual, part call to arms and part confession of errors from experienced headteacher, Simon Botten.
From being told to f*** off at assembly on his first day and being handed a walkie-talkie for calls to break up fights to managing crisis and the pain of failure after success, Simon tells you the stories you dont usually hear. Packed with brilliant advice for how to lead a school and multiple case studies from experienced headteachers who have been there and seen it all, this book is an essential guide to what it's really like to be a headteacher, whether you're an aspiring school leader or you're currently in post. Humorous, wise and insightful, this book aims to inspire you to be the best headteacher you can be - practically, technically and emotionally.
Simon Botten is executive headteacher of Blackhorse Primary and Emersons Green Primary Schools, and Head of Inclusion at The Leaf Trust. He has been a headteacher for around two decades across several different schools. He has also supported headteachers in other schools for the last 15 years, and writes a popular blog on being a headteacher, https://southgloshead.wordpress.com.