15+ years
the outgoing head teacher’s tenure, raising the stakes for a strong successor
6 competencies
identified as essential for the role, through a Role Profiler exercise
1 consultant
guiding the governors’ panel through the whole process
A 15-year head teacher was stepping down, and the school needed a successor who could maintain its progress from under-performing to good
Replacing a 15-year head teacher, without losing momentum
Chiltern Hills Academy needed to recruit a new head teacher with the strategic vision to maintain the school’s progress from under-performing to good, and the resilience to lead through the aftermath of Covid-19.
The outgoing head teacher had led the school for more than 15 years, raising the stakes for the governors’ panel to get the appointment right, and to do so within a tight recruitment timescale.
The panel needed a fair, consistent way to assess candidates against the specific demands of the role, alongside expert support to prepare for and run the interview process itself.
A consultancy-led process, from role profile to interview panel
A dedicated consultant, a role-specific competency profile, and a full assessment package built around it.
Define the role
A Role Profiler exercise with the governors identified the six competencies most essential to succeeding as head teacher.
Assess the candidates
Candidates completed a Wave® Professional Styles personality assessment and a Swift Aptitude test covering numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning.
Support the panel
A Wave Expert Report analysis and a verbal debrief prepared the hiring panel, alongside a Wave Personal Report, Line Manager Report and Interview Guide for the successful candidate.
A successful appointment made within the governors’ tight timescale
The right hire, made with confidence, against a tight deadline
A consultancy-led process gave Chiltern Hills Academy’s governors a fair, well-prepared way to make one of the school’s most important appointments.
The Role Profiler exercise gave the panel a shared, specific view of what the role required, and the Wave assessments and Swift Aptitude test gave a consistent, evidence-based way to compare candidates against it.
The consultant’s support through the Wave Expert Report analysis and verbal debrief meant the governors’ panel, without specialist recruitment experience of their own, could run a professional, well-prepared interview process and make the appointment within their timescale.
“The flexibility and agility displayed by the Saville Assessment consultant throughout the process was greatly appreciated. It allowed us to hit tight timescales, and ultimately hire the right person.”
Andrew Brown, Chair of Governors, Chiltern Hills Academy
Hiring a senior leader against a tight timescale?
We can help your panel run a fair, well-prepared process, with expert support from role profile through to appointment.
