Reporter GILL SMITH examines the demanding and often complex roles a headteacher has to perform in a typical day. Far from going home when the bell rings at 3.30pm, today's headteachers have to do the best for their pupils, parents, staff and governors while performing a juggling act with the accounts. Here, we talk to two typical headteachers and show their timetables for one day... It must be one of the most demanding jobs there is. Chief executive, accountant, publicist, teacher, sometimes even a counsellor - it sounds like enough roles to occupy an entire work force. In fact in the world of education it is often up to one person, a headteacher, to accomplish them all.

The task is made even more unenviable by the gruelling hours. A recent survey showed that the average secondary head works 61.7 hours a week while his or her primary counterpart works 55.7 hours.

It is perhaps not surprising then that Oxfordshire is facing increasing difficulties in recruiting suitable candidates to lead the county's schools into the next Millennium. In the last academic year almost a third of vacant headships in Oxfordshire had to be re-advertised.

Among them were three schools who had to publicise their vacancies three times before a suitable candidate was found. It is also the case that short-lists for headships are getting shorter in the county. John Howson, an Oxford-based specialist in education data, said: "Some parts of the country seem to be suffering worse than others. The queue is not long enough to satisfy demand."

He said the types of schools struggling to find heads were both small rural primaries and larger urban primary schools.

Chris Bryan, chairman of Oxfordshire's Association of Secondary Heads, said the post of headteacher has been transformed since the introduction of local management of schools, when schools took on responsibility for their own budgets.

And even more responsibilities could be looming in the shape of government proposals to give schools control for an increased shared of their budgets. Mr Bryan said: "I think there are higher expectations of headteachers on the part of society at large and governors in particular.

There are a number of people within the profession who would find it difficult to live up to expectations. It has a tremendous amount to do with workload, particularly as we're into local management of schools where the head is chief executive of a school, he has responsibility for personnel, for the site and building , finance, pupil welfare, curriculum development and links with the local community. "Consequently you have to feel really enthusiastic for the job.

"Some people may well doubt their ability to cope with those sort of pressures.

"People look at the job and look at their lifestyle and think, is it worth it?"

JUGGLING HIS DUTIES

Anyone who travels across the city by bus may well have rubbed shoulders with headteacher Clive Lambert.

For it is this method of transport that the headteacher uses to travel between the two schools under his control.

His unorthodox travel arrangements led some of his staff to make the false assumption that he had been banned from driving. But in reality the time on board provides him with crucial minutes to reflect. Mr Lambert has what must be arguably one of the most challenging posts in the city.

Managing one city centre school, Bayswater Middle School, Headington, would probably enough for most people in the profession. But he was asked to temporarily take on the additional headship of Donnington Middle School, which inspectors judged to be failing earlier this year.

The joint role, which involves taking responsibility for a total of 610 children, takes up 60 hours every week. But he insists his long hours are nothing remarkable. He said: "I'm sure many heads do similar things. I'm just doing my job to the best of my ability. It takes a lot of organising. A key thing is delegating responsibility and having really good staff to support me."

The father of two, who has been a headteacher for only three years, has created his own routine to ensure his family life is not completely swallowed up by the pressures of his job. "I've got this thing about being with my family at certain times," he explains. On most evenings he will leave school at 5pm and spend two hours with his children, aged six and eight, before returning to his computer for a further three hours' work later in the evening.

Despite the challenging nature of his job, Mr Lambert's is clearly full of enthusiasm for his work.

He said: "I enjoy being a headteacher. I like being in charge and I feel that I can benefit children's education. I like to push myself. It's the satisfaction of seeing things happen. I always try and walk round the school so they don't just see a black briefcase drift in and out."

A HECTIC SCHEDULE - ON THE HOOF

8am - arrives at Bayswater School

8.15am -takes part in briefing with the entire school staff

8.30am - today is transfer day when new pupils who are due to arrive in September spend a day in the school. Checks all arrangements are in place for their arrival

8.40am - meeting with parents to discuss the progress of an individual student

8.50am - starts to confirm arrangements for tomorrow's interviews for a new PE teacher. Comforts two new pupils who appear distressed

9am - greets new pupils in the hall, followed by a walk around the school to check all the newcomers are settled

9.45am - receives phone call from Donnington Middle School which needs immediate decisions on number of matters. Makes decision over a logo on school sweatshirt 10am - goes back up to classrooms to check on the 52 new children - intercepted by children, staff and parents with queries

10.05am - brief meeting with deputy before departing for Donnington School. (usually makes the journey between the two schools by bus but has borrowed a car from a relative as today is particularly busy.)

10.20am - meeting with staff on major curriculum issues followed by visit to the pupils spending the day at Donnington School 10.50am - phones up a parent who has contacted the school about an exclusion. Sits with year five head to discuss meeting for parents of new children taking place later tonight.

11.15am - break duty talking to children.

11.45am - walks round school talking to staff and pupils. Checks with administration and deputy on arrangements for parents' evening

12.45pm - two lunchtime supervisors are off so does a lunch duty - eats lunch with pupils followed by 45 minutes in the playground Receives an unexpected call from education officer and adviser who request meeting on staffing issues later this afternoon. Shifts arrangements for the rest of the day.

1.50pm - returns to Bayswater School. Goes through in-tray followed by visit to the playground

2.30pm - back to Donnington. Drops in at his home on the way to let his wife know he will be back later than expected and has a cup of tea 3pm - meeting with education officers delayed until 3.15pm. Looks through in-tray 3.45pm - Confidential meeting with chairman of governors followed by personnel meeting of governors Agenda has been altered to incorporate issues which came up in meeting with education officers.

5.15pm - further discussions with education officers about Bayswater School

5.40pm - Catches up with Donnington deputy to check operational arrangements for the following week such as cover for staff absences and school trips

6pm - speaks at meeting for parents of the new intake at Donnington

6.40pm - leaves school for home, grabs a sandwich and cup of tea with wife and children

7.15pm - leaves home for meeting for parents of the new intake at Bayswater School

8.50pm - locks up school and leaves for home

9.30pm- phones chairman of Bayswater governors

10.15pm - looks at diary to see what he is doing to the following day

11.15pm - watches TV for an hour before bed.

CERTAINLY NOT A CUSHY NUMBER To an outsider it looks like an idyllic place to work.

The little Victorian school building in Clifton Hampden stands amid scenery that would grace any chocolate box - thatched cottages, an attractive church and a bridge crossing the Thames.

The children are polite, independent and confidently show visitors around their school. There is also a buzz of excitement as the entire junior class prepares to spend three days away together on a youth hostelling holiday.

But anyone with the impression that the role of headteacher in this attractive rural spot is a cushy number would be wrong.

Headteacher Kathy Day might only be responsible for 50 infant and junior pupils, but leading a school this size brings its own challenges. Because it would be uneconomic to have a non-teaching head for such a small school she is still a class teacher for four days a week, taking responsibility for all the school's junior pupils. Management responsibilities have to be squeeezed into the remaining one day, as well as her own time.

"It is a difficult role," she admits. "My challenge is to blend the role of headteacher with that of a classroom teacher. You're always conscious that one or other role needs more time. Sometimes the logistics are difficult when visitors come into the school. It's quite difficult to see them if you're trying to be a classroom teacher." Although her school building is 150 years old, Mrs Day makes steps to ensure the children in her care are getting a modern education.

She said: "It's a very secure environment. We make a real effort to look beyond the village into different cultures and different places." One such initiative is a link with a school in the centre of London, with which the children correspond by letter.

Although the job is demanding, the headteacher, who was previously in charge of a school on the island of Arran, would not swap her life and is full of enthusiasm about the children she teaches. She said: "They're wonderful. That's why I'm still here. I've chosen to remain head of a small school rather than take the more usual route to a larger school. I like the involvement with the whole community. "

KATHY DAY'S TYPICAL DAY

8am - arrive at school. Do paperwork

8.15am - meeting with electrical contractor to discuss installations for a new computer system which is part of the national grid for learning

8.40am - meeting with parents in charge of ordering school uniform. Then a parent calls in to say their child has been ill in the night 8.45am - put instructions on the board to occupy her class when children arrive - tries to make herself available for parents to speak to as they are delivering their children to school

9am - starts work as a classroom teacher teaching youngsters aged seven to 11. Some children are doing a topic on Charlbury where they are heading for tomorrow for a school camp while others are writing up a project on a garden they have planned and created. Several phone calls are intercepted by answer-phone

10-30am - conducts an assembly for the whole school

10.50am - goes into her office to pick up messages. Makes a note of who to ring a lunchtime 11am - goes with her class to Berinsfield Sports Centre. Takes a gym lesson while half the group have a swimming lesson

12.45pm - arrives back at school and does a lunchtime duty 1.10pm - goes into office and writes a letter to parents. Catches up on telephone messages

1.30pm - back into the classroom. Draws together morning's activities with children. Talks to children about tomorrow's school holiday in Charlbury

2pm - supervises her class who are finishing off various projects

3pm - helps older children deliver a presentation to younger ones all about Charlbury. Writes down meal order for each child for tomorrow's dinner at youth hostel

3.30pm - appointment with parents about their child's progress

4pm - back into the office. Makes sure school will run smoothly over her three days away on school camp. Makes sure any administration is up to date. Leaves messages for administrator. Makes final arrangement for tomorrow's camp taking equipment such as medical kits. Rings chair of parent/teacher organisation to check sports day and barbecue the following week are organised 6pm - leaves school. Once home draws up sleeping plan for the school camp - making sure all children are near a friend. Phones through meal orders to youth hostel. Packs own luggage

8.30pm - relaxes in preparation for three days away with children - and wonders how she's going to get them to sleep tomorrow night.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.