Helena Button

Headteacher, Norton Free Church of England Primary School – talks about joining Sheffield as a new headteacher

Helena Button very recently took up a new Headteacher post in Sheffield. A Sheffield lass, she had already been thinking about returning to her hometown for family reasons – but  attending one of the ‘Inspire Sheffield’ briefings made her certain about her next step. “I was very excited after attending the briefing. There was a genuine desire to do something positive for Sheffield and I very much wanted to be part of that. I felt this was a chance for me to put something back into Sheffield.”

The honesty with which the authority was approaching the city’s problems also appealed to her, she adds. “There was no attempt to skate over the issues that the city faced, but there was a sense of purpose shared by everyone there, including the Lead Headteachers, which was quite inspiring.

“I was also impressed with the way the briefing was followed up,” she says. Helena received a call asking for her reactions to the event and whether she was interested in coming onboard. "But I did not feel under any pressure to apply for a job. I felt that Sheffield were trying to match the right person to the right job. Normally, when you are looking for a job, there’s no real attempt to get to know you.”

Helena kept her eye on the ‘Inspire Sheffield’ website for new headteacher opportunities and when the post at Norton Free was advertised she decided to apply.

She applied online, finding the website easy to navigate. A visit to the school was arranged and, again, she was pleased with the follow-up call she received from Navigate. “It was very helpful to get some impartial advice from someone who wasn’t from the school or the authority. It was good to have someone to discuss things with. It’s a big decision to take on the headship of a new school.”

Helena was also pleased that the formal interview stage for the post took only one day, rather than two. “There was a lot packed into the day  – but there was no time spent hanging about. The process included a presentation, written action plan, group activity and interview – all of which gave the candidates a good range of tasks to get their teeth into, without being overly pressurised or draining. Again, I felt the process was about matching the person to the job.”

For more information about headteacher opportunities in Sheffield, please call Trudy Searle, Adam Brett or Phil Watt at Navigate on 0844 800 5300 or register for further updates.