Senior Leader Skills Audit Pack

A quick-and-easy pack to audit the skills of a senior leader in your school. This pack contains concise guidance to support you in effectively utilising the skills audit, whether you're line managing an assistant or deputy head or whether you're a senior leader yourself who's wanting to evaluate their strengths and areas for improvement. 

Included is a 19-page template covering the different areas of skills that a school senior leader may need. These are split into handy sections, such as school culture, values and ethos, teaching and learning, school improvement, organisation management and more so they can be used flexibly. Questions include:

• How do I demonstrate my vision and passion for education and leadership within the school?
• How do I ensure all pupil groups make good progress? How do I support colleagues in implementing interventions?
• How do I support curriculum leaders to excel in their subject leadership roles?
• How do I promote a culture of responsibility and accountability within teams to ensure that tasks are carried out effectively?

The pack is aimed at supporting senior leaders and can be used by anyone who line manages a staff member in this role, such as an assistant headteacher, deputy headteacher, vice principle, director of a school area (e.g. learning, behaviour, inclusion), or any other senior role where the post holder has a school-wide responsibility. This can help to inform appraisal and performance management processes, as well as identify CPD needs for the senior leader in question.

Whether staff members are new-to-role or have vast experience in their area, skills audits are a valuable self-evaluation tool. When a staff member reflects on their competencies and expertise, they’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the strengths they bring to their role while identifying opportunities for growth or next steps. This self-awareness can boost confidence and self-belief, as well as enabling individuals to articulate their unique contributions to the team.

When skill gaps are identified, performance targets can include specific objectives aimed at addressing these gaps, allowing those with line management responsibilities to support the staff member through professional development and further training. Skills audits can also help school leaders to create balanced teams, prepare for change, support staff retention and assist in succession planning. 

Key questions answered:

• Why is it important for staff to utilise skills audits?
• How should a skills audit be conducted?
• How can skills audits inform performance management targets?
• How can leaders identify individual staff training needs?
• What other ways can skills audits be used?

Skills audits can be used as a valuable part of the induction process when a new staff member joins your team. Find out more about how to craft staff induction procedures that allow staff to get off to a flying start in your setting with the following pack:

• Staff Induction Pack

If you know that your staff have training and development needs, and are looking to enhance your CPD planning, this pack will support your thinking:

• CPD Planning and Preparation Pack

If you're thinking about recruiting a senior leader, and want to use the skills audit as part of that process, then you'll find the following packs and pages useful too: 

• Assistant and Deputy Headteacher Interview Pack
• Recruitment, Interview and Employment Compliance Guidance Pack
• More information on our job interview packs for different roles
• More skills audits for different job roles