Heads get stress-busting sabbaticals

7:16pm Wednesday 21st February 2007

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Head teachers at Church of England schools are being offered month-long sabbaticals during term time.

After the success of a pilot project, heads in Bradford can now take advantage of professional development sessions in the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland.

It is hoped the workshops, only open to heads who have been in the job for five years or longer, will help them become "mentally, physically and spiritually renewed".

Mike Joyce, head teacher at Clayton C of E School, took part in a pilot scheme. He said: "It was the most wonderful experience I could have had. There were four of us, all from church schools, who took part in the sabbatical which was designed to recharge batteries.

"As head teachers we are so concerned with looking after everybody else that we don't look after our own mental well-being.

"In 34 years in the job I have never had any time to myself. Being a head is an impossible job. You are answerable to so many people.

"I came back refreshed and very clear about the direction the school was following."

The first sabbatical for head teachers in the Bradford district will take place in the autumn.

Schools with participating heads will be asked to make a contribution to course costs.

Three-day retreats will take place at Parcevall Hall, Appletreewick, and at Holy Island, Lindisfarne.

The Reverend Clive Sedgewick, director of education for the Leeds diocese, which includes Bradford, said: "The pressure on head teachers has grown and grown, but there has been no consequent growth in pastoral opportunities and support for them.

"We wanted to redress that balance and offer our lead professionals a chance to become refreshed and to give them space to think through their strategic vision.

"The whole programme is voluntary. They can use the time as they wish. This is about providing professional opportunities in a very specific context to improve the performance of schools."