­
What does a Head of Department do? — ICT & Computing in Education
  • Front Page
  • Search
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Menu

ICT & Computing in Education

Articles on education technology and related topics
  • Front Page
  • Search
  • Newsletters
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
  • Info
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Top HoD Hacks, by Terry Freedman

What does a Head of Department do?

January 28, 2022

This is a generic job description based on several Head of Department job specifications. If you’re the Head of Computing or Education Technology, you may also have a responsibility for the use and possibly even the co-ordination of the use of technology across the whole school. Personally I think that’s a different job, requiring a different skill set, but such “double jobs” do exist.

The following job description is based on several job descriptions from a range of subjects.

Teaching

•   Be an excellent teacher.

•   Have excellent subject knowledge.

•   Maintain good discipline, and be proficient at class management.

•   Keep up-to-date with developments in your subject in particular, and education in general.    

•   Be able to self-evaluate effectively.

•   Have high expectations and help pupils to achieve their full potential.    

•   Assess and monitor all student progress, giving constructive feedback and deciding on examination entry as appropriate.

Personal

•   Be proficient in the use of information technology.

•   Have excellent organisational skills and be able to meet deadlines.

•   Be willing to contribute to the life of the department and the school in general.

•   Adhere to and promote the school’s Safeguarding policy.

Leading and management

•   Develop schemes of work and resources for, and be able to teach, Years 7 to 11 at all levels of ability.

•   Organise and deliver professional development raining for colleagues.  

•   Lead and take charge of the teachers and resources of the department, including managing the departmental budget efficiently and ensuring excellent value for money.

•   Ensure all members of the department assess and monitor pupils effectively..

•   Observe and evaluate lessons.

•   Be able to lead a team effectively.

•   Be able to delegate effectively.

Interpersonal

•   Represent the department and the school at senior leadership meetings, and at local authority or Academy Trust meetings.

•   Write and present periodic updates for the Headteacher and Governors or Trustees.

•   Communicate well with parents, through reports and parents’ evenings.

•   Work effectively with support staff.

•   Work well with all colleagues.


If you found this article interesting or useful (or both), why not subscribe to my free newsletter, Digital Education? It’s been going since the year 2000, and has slow news, informed views and honest reviews for Computing and ed tech teachers — and useful experience-based tips.

In HoD Notes, Leading & Managing Computing & ICT Tags Head of Department, HoD, job description
← A day in the education technology lifeMaintaining Standards in digital literacy courses →
Recent book reviews
Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example
Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example

For the time being, this book is free in Kindle format.

Read More →
Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too
Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too

Despite the relative paucity of immediately obvious National Curriculum links, teachers will find several of sections of this book to be highly engaging.

Read More →
Review: The Dictators: 64 Dictators, 64 Authors, 64 Warnings from History
Review: The Dictators: 64 Dictators, 64 Authors, 64 Warnings from History

In some respects one could view this book as a single warning repeated 64 times.

Read More →
Review: The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street 
Review: The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street 

Taking readers from the Middle Ages to (more or less) the present day, Gray charts how the places where we do our shopping and what we buy have changed over the centuries.

Read More →
Review: Extraordinary Learning For All
Review: Extraordinary Learning For All

As a source of potential ideas and inspiration, the book could be very useful indeed.

Read More →
Review: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them
Review: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them

One has the impression that the main role of the university these days is to maximise profit, while that of the majority of teaching staff is to ensure the ‘correct’ views are passed on to students. All the while, students’ main concern seems to be to seek protection from anything that might make them feel unsafe.

Read More →
Review: Next Practices - An Executive Guide for Education Decision Makers
Review: Next Practices - An Executive Guide for Education Decision Makers

Is a 2014 book on managing the computing provision in a school still worth buying?

Read More →
Still relevant (sadly): How to lie with statistics, by Darrell Huff
Still relevant (sadly): How to lie with statistics, by Darrell Huff

Although this book is over 60 years old, it is remarkably apposite for our times -- and especially in the fields of educational research and assessing pupils' understanding and progress.

Read More →
Quick looks: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them
Quick looks: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them

It was a great source of pride to me, getting hundreds of students through their A levels and encouraging them to go to university. But for some time I have asked myself a question: would I recommend this route now?

Read More →
Review: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World
Review: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World

At first glance, you might take this to be one of those books full of affirmations and anecdotes designed to lift your mood.

Read More →
Dig+Ed+Banner.jpg

Contact us

Privacy

Cookies

Terms and conditions

This website is powered by Squarespace

(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved