Heads Up
By Dominic Carman
From Eton, Westminster and St Paul’s to Wycombe Abbey, Withington and Winchester, this is the inside story of the men and women running 32 of England’s leading independent schools – and the problems they face.
Heads Up uncovers the secret world of this impressive, powerful group as they battle to create the right conditions for academic success, happy children and happy staff. They tell a story of demanding governors, treacherous staff, nightmare parents, financial difficulties and the relentless pressure to achieve.
To most observers, these world-class institutions are smoothly managed centres of excellence. But behind closed doors, heads routinely spend their days challenged by parents, staff and governors, sometimes fighting battles on several fronts.
At the centre of everything are children and their problems: bullying, drugs, eating disorders and the relentless pressure to perform. That pressure also applies to heads. Austerity brings trouble for some, even among schools at the top. Selling the brand and beating the competition are critical – their individual stories of success and failure are extraordinary and compelling.
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