State schools, world-class leadership: why the best headteachers aren’t in elite private schools
For decades – perhaps even centuries – there has been a popular belief in society that the pinnacle of a headteacher’s career is to work in the hallowed halls of historic, not-for-profit independent schools such as Eton, Winchester, or St Paul’s.
Their names are synonymous with tradition, privilege, and excellence – and some people might still assume that a role at one of these institutions is considered the top of the profession.
But today, this perception is misleading. It overlooks where the toughest, most demanding, and most transformative leadership actually occurs: in the state sector.
Some may find it surprising that I would make this argument, given that I lead one of the largest private K-12 education groups in the world. There is no doubt that gifted, skilled and hardworking teachers can be found in every type of school, state or independent, from the humblest institutions to the most prestigious.
Yet, after decades of hiring headteachers from every background, I’ve observed that many of the very best candidates – those who combine resilience, vision, and empathy – come from the state schools that are driving real improvement in often tough circumstances, rather than from the historic not-for-profit independent institutions.
These are leaders who navigate constant change, work with limited resources, and are accountable to highly diverse communities with a variety of expectations – yet consistently deliver transformative outcomes. They are not merely managing schools; they are driving innovation, shaping inclusive cultures, and achieving results far beyond what their circumstances would suggest possible.
Governments also rightly recognise their extraordinary talents. State-school headteachers have dominated the UK honours lists year after year – 2025 being no exception – with many receiving MBEs, OBEs, and CBEs. This reflects their pivotal role in driving educational transformation and delivering positive outcomes for students.
By contrast, educators from historic, not-for-profit independent schools are consistently much less represented.
Many elite, not-for-profit independent schools also use academic selection in admissions, which can limit the diversity of their student populations. This can in turn impact a headteacher’s professional growth: while excellent leaders can be found in every school, those who do not regularly work with a broad range of students may miss opportunities to develop the skills needed to adapt to different learning styles, backgrounds, and needs.
At the same time, while their reputations are built on tradition and acclaim, elite independent schools are not always overseen in the same rigorous way as their state-sector counterparts. Schools that are members of the Independent Schools Council are evaluated, not by Ofsted, but by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).
The assessment criteria it uses are different from those applied to state schools, and according to some teachers with experience of both systems, are often less formal.
In contrast, state-school headteachers are accountable to multiple stakeholders – including Ofsted, local authorities, academy trust CEOs and their boards – and are constantly measured against stringent performance targets, from exam results and student progression to safeguarding, inclusion, and community impact. The pressure they face requires them to deliver exceptional results with sometimes limited resources.
Resource pressures are particularly intense in state schools. In UK state schools, for example, there are 17.9 pupils for every teacher (compared to 8.5 in independent schools), and primary classes have more than 26 students on average.
From the start of every day, state-school headteachers are juggling personnel and leadership demands with classroom management, resource maximisation, financial planning, and other difficult decisions. In particular, headteachers of schools in areas of deprivation have to work extremely hard to ensure that their students can compete on the same level playing field as those from more affluent backgrounds – often working to help their students break generational cycles of poverty.
And yet the state sector offers them far less financial reward. The median salary of state secondary school headteachers in England for 2024-25 was approximately £117,000. Meanwhile, renowned independent heads operate on a different scale entirely – for example, Eton’s headmaster receives around £370,000 a year, and at Highgate School, the most senior staff pay award exceeds £400,000. This pay disparity is stark, and must be urgently addressed.
The pressures are taking their toll. In 2023-24, over 1,600 headteachers left the state sector for reasons other than retirement – a four-fold rise on the number that left in 2010. Such figures reflect a worrying retention crisis: experienced leaders are being driven out not only by pay gaps but also by workload and unsustainable working conditions.
Outstanding headteachers can be found in every type of school, but it is time to flip the script. True excellence in education should no longer be measured by the honeyed stone and ivy of an ancient quad, but by the transformative leadership that shapes the future of students from all walks of life.
The real benchmarks of excellence are resilience, inclusivity and impact – as well as the ability to thrive in complex situations under pressure. If we want to celebrate leadership that truly matters, we must recognise the state-school headteachers whose vision and dedication place them among the true standard-bearers of excellence.
The post State schools, world-class leadership: why the best headteachers aren’t in elite private schools appeared first on The PIE News.