Heads of Department get a raw deal.
Many are loved and admired by their teams for offering support and shielding them from some of the more “interesting” initiatives handed down from above. Yet, at the same time, they can be seen by senior leaders as a roadblock to progress, a bottleneck between vision and implementation. Heads of Department are, in many ways, the meat in the sandwich.
The reality is that the demands of the role have increased exponentially. Compliance, curriculum mandates, data collection, and senior study procedures have expanded dramatically over the past decade. In many schools, Heads of Department shoulder these responsibilities while trying to protect their staff from overload. Out of empathy and dedication, some take on the heavy lifting, writing unit plans, designing assessments, or updating documentation for their entire team. While noble, this well-intentioned act often backfires. It leads to burnout for the Head of Department and disempowers teachers by removing their ownership of planning and pedagogy. No one wins in the end.
This workload challenge isn’t imagined. The Grattan Institute (2023) found that teachers spend less than 40% of their working week on actual teaching, with the rest consumed by compliance, paperwork, and administrative demands. For Heads of Department, who carry the dual load of teacher and leader, that squeeze is even tighter. Grattan’s report concluded that “teachers don’t need to work harder; they need to work differently”, and systems need to be redesigned to free time for great teaching and leadership.
The crucial role of middle leadership
Middle leaders occupy one of the most influential yet least supported positions in a school. As “linchpins” between the executive and teaching teams, they play a pivotal role in translating vision into classroom practice. Research by Collier, Dinham, Brennan, Deece, and Mulford (2002) found that one of the most rewarding aspects of the Head of Department role is working with, leading, and serving people, influencing meaningful change in teaching and learning.
However, the same study also identified the most challenging aspects: lack of time and managing underperforming staff.
Two decades on from when that study by Collier et al. was published, the situation has only intensified. Administrative expectations have ballooned, and Heads of Department are often drowning in operational tasks that leave little room for what truly matters: mentoring teachers, improving pedagogy, and fostering collaboration.
As the Grattan Institute noted, “administrative overload is stealing the joy of teaching and eroding time for meaningful collaboration.” For Heads of Department, this means the work of leadership is often eclipsed by the burden of management.
Empower, don’t overburden
If schools want to accelerate positive change, Heads of Department must be empowered, not bypassed. Involving them as part of a change team when implementing new initiatives creates alignment and ownership, two key drivers of successful school improvement (Fullan, 2019; Hargreaves & O’Connor, 2018).
Most Heads of Department don’t resist change because they’re cynical. They resist it because they care. They want to see their teachers thrive. They want time to mentor, to visit classrooms, to provide feedback, and to build shared professional capacity. They don’t want their teachers to collapse under the weight of the ‘new initiative’ work. Unfortunately, the current structures rarely allow it.
Building the capacity of Heads of Department
If schools want to implement lasting, meaningful change, they must invest in the capacity of their middle leaders. Research consistently shows that leadership at the middle tier has the greatest influence on classroom practice (Dinham, 2007; Grattan Institute, 2018). Yet many Heads of Department are promoted because they are excellent teachers, not because they have been prepared for the complex people and change-management responsibilities that come with the role.
Capacity building starts with clarity and collaboration. Heads of Department need a shared understanding of the school’s strategic direction and the autonomy to shape how it is enacted within their teams. When middle leaders are involved early in strategic conversations, they move from being implementers to co-authors of change, a shift that dramatically increases buy-in and sustainability.
They also need structured time and tools for instructional leadership. Research by Robinson, Lloyd and Rowe (2008) found that the most effective school leaders focus on improving teaching and learning, not just managing operations. This means protecting time for Heads of Departments to observe classes, lead collaborative planning, and provide feedback. Without this, the role becomes reactive and transactional rather than developmental.
Finally, effective Heads of Department require ongoing professional learning in leadership, coaching, and change management. Programs that blend theory with practice, such as leadership coaching, peer networks, and mentoring models, enable middle leaders to build confidence and strategic capability.
When schools invest in these supports, they don’t just lighten the load; they unlock one of the most powerful levers for school improvement. Empowered, skilled Heads of Department are not the “meat in the sandwich”, they are the bridge that connects vision to classroom reality.
Where Vivedus fits in
The Vivedus Planner gives Heads of Department the visibility and agency they’ve been asking for.
Through an intuitive dashboard, they can see every teacher’s planning and practice at a glance, track alignment with curriculum and pedagogy, and identify where support or professional learning might be needed. This transparency doesn’t add another layer of compliance, it replaces several disjointed systems, freeing up time for meaningful leadership.
Teachers can collaboratively plan units of work online, reducing the need for endless offline meetings and document chasing. Heads of Department can offer feedback directly into the planning using a structured template designed to promote not only the growth of the teacher, but also grow their leadership skill.
With Vivedus, Heads of Department can focus less on paperwork and more on people. They gain the insight and data they need to support their team effectively, while senior leaders get the clarity they need to manage strategically. It’s about restoring balance and giving leaders at every level the tools to lead well.
References
Collier, J., Dinham, S., Brennan, K., Deece, A., & Mulford, D. (2002). Perceptions and reality of the work of the secondary head of department. International Studies in Educational Administration, 30(2), 17–26.
Dinham, S. (2007). How schools get moving and keep improving: Leadership for teacher learning, student success and school renewal. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
Fullan, M. (2019). Leading in a Culture of Change. Jossey-Bass.
Grattan Institute. (2023). Making Time for Great Teaching. Grattan Institute.
Grattan Institute. (2022). Making Middle Leaders Matter. Grattan Institute.
Hargreaves, A., & O’Connor, M. T. (2018). Collaborative Professionalism: When Teaching Together Means Learning for All. Corwin Press.
Robinson, V. M. J., Lloyd, C. A., & Rowe, K. J. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(5), 635–674.
