Leadership Experience Case Study
Recruitment is one of the highest-leverage decisions a school leader makes, yet schools often rely heavily on two things that can be misleading: an impressive CV and a polished demo lesson.
During one recruitment cycle, I reviewed candidates whose written profiles appeared strong enough to justify further consideration. My response to one such profile was deliberately cautious: it was impressive if what had been written was accurate. For a leadership-level candidate already interviewed online, I recommended an in-person final round to understand her on-ground abilities before making a decision.
In another case, a teacher’s classroom demo stood out for the opposite reason. It did not feel like a performance staged for observers. The teacher used language strategically to help children understand concepts, connected the lesson with real-life examples and engaged students naturally. My observation at the time was that it felt like a real class rather than a demo.
Together, these experiences reinforced an important recruitment principle: selection should test the work the person will actually need to do.
A CV Is Evidence to Verify, Not a Decision
Qualifications, previous schools, designations and years of experience matter. But a CV is a candidate-authored summary.
Leaders should use it to generate questions:
- What exactly did the candidate own in the previous role?
- What evidence supports the stated leadership responsibility?
- Did the person design a system or only participate in it?
- What changed because of their work?
- How large was the team, grade span or programme?
- Which claims can be verified through references or documentation?
An impressive institutional name on a CV should not replace careful role verification.
Demo Lessons Can Reward Performance Rather Than Teaching
Teachers know they are being observed during recruitment. It is therefore natural for a demo to be unusually prepared.
A theatrical demo can look energetic while revealing little about normal teaching. A quieter lesson can reveal stronger pedagogy if students are thinking, understanding and participating meaningfully.
Observers should therefore look beyond presentation style.
What I Look for in a Recruitment Demo
A useful demo can reveal:
- whether explanations are accurate and accessible;
- whether the teacher notices student understanding;
- how questions are used;
- whether examples connect concepts with prior knowledge or real life;
- how language is adjusted to learner needs;
- whether students participate beyond the most confident few;
- how the teacher responds when an answer is unexpected;
- whether classroom presence feels natural rather than rehearsed.
The strongest indicator is often not how impressive the teacher looks, but how much meaningful thinking students are doing.
Leadership Roles Need On-Ground Assessment
Recruiting a coordinator, Head of Department or principal requires additional evidence.
An online interview can test thinking and communication, but leadership also lives in interactions, judgement and the ability to read a school context.
An in-person final stage may include:
- a school walk and discussion of observations;
- analysis of student work or assessment data;
- a conversation with teachers;
- a curriculum-planning task;
- response to a parent or staffing scenario;
- feedback on a classroom observation;
- prioritisation of school-improvement issues.
These activities reveal whether the person can translate professional language into decisions.
Recruit for the Actual Context
The “best” candidate in general may not be the best candidate for a particular school.
A school in rapid growth may need flexibility and system-building. A mature school may need deeper instructional leadership. A small team may require someone willing to teach as well as lead. A new curriculum may require strong learning agility rather than only previous title.
Recruitment therefore needs a role scorecard based on the actual work.
A Practical Teacher Recruitment Framework
- Define the role clearly. Identify the work, not only the designation.
- Screen evidence. Review qualifications and experience critically.
- Verify important claims. Use references appropriately.
- Observe authentic teaching. Look at student learning, not showmanship.
- Test judgement. Use realistic school scenarios.
- Assess context fit. Consider curriculum, age group, team structure and school stage.
- Separate potential from proof. A promising candidate may still need support; an experienced candidate may not fit the role.
- Document the decision. Record why the selected person best meets the agreed criteria.
The Leadership Learning
The experience reinforced a principle I continue to use:
Recruitment should reduce the distance between the selection process and the actual job.
If the role is teaching, observe real teaching. If the role is leadership, test judgement and on-ground capability. If a CV makes an important claim, verify it.
Schools become stronger when recruitment moves from “Who impressed us?” to “Who has given us the strongest evidence that they can do the work our students and team need?”