Deputy and assistant headteacher roles

Assistant and deputy headteachers are the senior leaders below the head. They are qualified teachers paid on the leadership pay range, which from 1 September 2026 runs from £53,586 to £148,829 outside London, although the range for a deputy or assistant post sits towards the lower end and is set by the school. Most people step up after a few years in middle leadership, such as head of department, head of year or a subject or phase lead in primary.

How the two roles differ

The titles are used loosely, and academies often swap them for vice principal and assistant principal. The general pattern is as follows.

An assistant headteacher leads one whole-school area, such as behaviour and attendance, curriculum, assessment and data, teaching and learning, or SEN and inclusion. They line-manage middle leaders in that area and sit on the senior leadership team, but do not usually stand in for the head.

A deputy headteacher has a broader brief and deputises for the head when they are away. Typical deputy responsibilities include the timetable, staffing and cover, the school development plan, pupil progress across the school, and often safeguarding as the designated safeguarding lead. A primary school may have one deputy and no assistants, while a large secondary might have two deputies and four or more assistants.

Day-to-day work

Senior leaders teach, though less than classroom teachers. The rest of the week goes on leading staff, running meetings, analysing data, dealing with serious behaviour incidents, meeting parents, writing policies and reporting to governors. Gate, corridor and lunch duty are a visible part of the job.

Deputies and assistants cover the gaps. If a teacher is off or a crisis happens at lunchtime, it often lands with a senior leader. The workload is high, and evening events, from parents’ evenings to governors’ meetings, are frequent.

Pay on the leadership range

The government accepted the STRB’s recommendation of a 3.5% increase on the leadership range from 1 September 2026. The legal STPCD 2026 was still in draft in mid-October 2026, with publication expected around early November and backdating to 1 September.

Area	Leadership group from 1 September 2026
England excluding London	£53,586 to £148,829
London fringe	£55,060 to £150,301
Outer London	£57,837 to £153,042
Inner London	£63,709 to £158,863

The top of that range is for heads of the largest schools. In maintained schools, the board sets a pay range for each deputy and assistant post within the leadership group, and it must sit below the headteacher’s. Academies set their own pay, often following the same structure. The leadership pay range guide has more detail.

The move onto the leadership range can bring less extra money than people expect. A teacher on U3 outside London earns £52,835 before allowances, and a middle leader with a TLR1 can already be close to or above the bottom of the leadership range. Compare the specific point offered, not just the title. The take-home pay calculator shows the net difference.

The 1,265 hours of directed time limit that applies to classroom teachers does not cover leaders on the leadership range. Their contracts expect them to work the hours needed to do the job.

Stepping up from middle leadership

Selection panels want evidence that you have led change beyond your own classroom or department and that it worked. Before applying, it helps to have:

• led a whole-school project or working group, with measurable results
• line-managed other teachers or support staff
• handled difficult conversations, such as underperformance or a parent complaint
• worked with data across a year group or key stage

The National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) is aimed at people moving into senior leadership. Many adverts mention it, though it is not required. Our guide to NPQs covers the NPQSL and NPQH.

Interviews usually last one or two days, with a presentation, data task, in-tray exercise, student panel and a formal interview. See assessment centres for how multi-task selection days run.

The step after

Most deputies who want headship apply after a few years in post, often after completing the NPQH. Some move to a different school to gain a deputy role first, since internal promotion is not always possible. Our profile of the headteacher role covers the final step.

Senior leadership vacancies in England are on the DfE Teaching Vacancies service and under school leadership jobs. Notice rules for teachers in maintained schools apply to assistant and deputy heads: two months, or three for the summer term, which means handing in notice by 31 May to leave at 31 August.