Laura MacKay has been teaching for just over 8 years, and for the past 2 years has been headteacher at Banff Primary School. Before teaching, Laura worked in the hospitality industry but was keen to move into the teaching profession as it’s a passion she has always had.
Laura decided to take the Into Headship course when she was a principal teacher at a previous school and was keen to explore how her wide range of skills could be transferred into a leadership role.
“The Into Headship course has been exceptionally valuable. I discovered that my leadership skills could be extended. One of the positive outcomes of undertaking the course was the impact on building the capacity of my team. I also liked the opportunity to balance work with further learning.”
“There are so many unseen aspects of being a headteacher and having a peer group to share concerns, thoughts and ideas with was one of the main advantages of doing the course.”
“It can be a lonely job being a headteacher, so having a network of other headteacher colleagues to chat to and to share best practice with, has been really useful. Having open and honest dialogue with them and recognising each other’s strengths has been beneficial. The programme allows you to develop a knowledge of theory and then put it into practice. Being more aware of theory and current research helps you meet the social needs of the children.”
Laura’s advice to any aspiring headteacher looking to apply for the course:
“I would definitely encourage anyone thinking of becoming a headteacher to do the programme. There is more to being a headteacher than the day to day routine. The course helped to refresh my vision for the school and reaffirmed my reason for becoming a headteacher.”