The deputy headteacher is the second most senior post in a school and the one with the least predictable job description. What a deputy actually does depends heavily on the head they work for, the size of the school and whether the school sits in a trust. What follows is what the role covers in most primary schools, how it differs from an assistant headship, and what it takes to move from deputy to head.
Deputy headteacher roles and responsibilities
A deputy typically holds whole-school accountability for one or more major areas, deputises in the head’s absence, and carries a teaching commitment on top. Common responsibilities include:
- Teaching and learning. Monitoring the quality of teaching across the school, running lesson observations and book scrutinies, and leading improvement where it is weak
- Curriculum. Overseeing curriculum design and sequencing, often alongside subject leaders
- Standards and data. Tracking pupil progress, identifying groups falling behind, and leading pupil progress meetings
- Behaviour and culture. Owning the behaviour policy in practice, dealing with the incidents that escalate beyond class teachers
- Safeguarding. Very often the Designated Safeguarding Lead or deputy DSL
- Staff development. Appraisal, mentoring early career teachers, and coaching middle leaders
- Deputising. Running the school when the head is absent, including in a crisis
- Teaching. Most primary deputies retain a class or a substantial timetable, which is what makes the job hard
Deputy head or assistant head: what is the difference?
Both sit on the leadership team and both are paid on the leadership pay range. The distinction is one of scope and succession. An assistant headteacher usually leads a defined area, such as a key stage, inclusion or behaviour. A deputy holds a broader brief across the whole school, deputises for the head, and is the person expected to step up. A school will usually have several assistant heads but only one deputy.
Deputy head or headteacher?
The gap between the two is larger than the job titles suggest. A deputy is accountable for how well the school does things. A head is accountable for the school: the budget, the staffing structure, the relationship with governors or the trust, admissions and occupancy, and the Ofsted outcome. Deputies who make a successful transition tend to be the ones who sought out budget and governance exposure before they needed it, rather than those who were strongest in the classroom.
Qualifications and route
There is no mandatory qualification for deputy headship beyond being a qualified teacher. In a maintained school, teachers must hold QTS unless an exemption applies; academies are not bound by the same statutory requirement unless their funding agreement imposes one.
In practice the route runs from class teacher, through a TLR-carrying middle leadership post such as a subject or phase lead, to assistant headteacher and then deputy. Many deputies take the NPQ for Senior Leadership, and those aiming at headship take the National Professional Qualification for Headship, an 18-month programme aimed at serving and aspiring heads. The NPQH was mandatory for new heads from April 2004 until February 2012 and has been optional since, but it remains the expected signal of readiness on a shortlist.
Deputy headteacher pay
Deputy heads are paid on the leadership pay range of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, the same structure that covers assistant heads and headteachers. Across England that range runs from roughly £53,585 to £158,862 for 2026-27, following the 3.5 per cent uplift from September 2026, with deputies typically occupying the lower to middle portion depending on school size. Inner London, outer London and fringe weightings apply on top, so a deputy headship in London pays materially more than the same post elsewhere.
For comparison, headteacher pay for 2026-27 runs from £70,754 to £158,862 in inner London and £64,871 to £153,041 in outer London.
Moving from deputy to headship
Three things tend to separate deputies who get appointed from those who keep getting shortlisted.
- Budget literacy. Ask to be involved in budget setting and staffing structure decisions before you apply, not after
- A named improvement you own. Governors want a specific area you took responsibility for, with evidence of what changed
- Exposure to governance. Presenting to the governing board is uncomfortable and it is the single best preparation for headship interviews
Frequently asked questions
What does a deputy headteacher actually do?
Leads whole-school areas such as teaching and learning, curriculum, behaviour or safeguarding, deputises for the headteacher, supports staff development, and in most primary schools continues to teach.
Is a deputy head higher than an assistant head?
Yes. Both sit on the leadership team and the leadership pay range, but the deputy has a broader whole-school brief and deputises for the head.
Do you need the NPQH to become a deputy headteacher?
No. The NPQH is aimed at headship and has been optional since February 2012. Many deputies take the NPQ for Senior Leadership instead.
How much does a deputy headteacher earn?
Deputies are paid within the leadership pay range, which spans roughly £53,585 to £158,862 across England for 2026-27, with London weighting on top. Where a deputy sits depends chiefly on the size of the school.
How long does it take to go from deputy to headteacher?
Commonly three to five years in a deputy post, though it varies widely and some move sooner, particularly within trusts that appoint internally.
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