It seems the lengths with which schools must now go to try to secure the services of a headteacher with a proven track record has no limits. But why is there a shortage of headteachers?

On Monday, Dr Brenda Despontin, president of the Independent Girls’ School Association said that Wales faced a headship crisis of “unprecedented proportions”.

The General Teaching Council for Wales warned that 60% of headteachers in the country are due to retire over the next ten years. And of the 1,797 headteachers in Wales, 60% are aged 54 to 64 and only 35% are aged under 49.

Do teachers reject the idea of a headship on the basis of the inevitable extra stress and workload? Do successful heads reject the idea of a second headship due to the extra workload involved in joining a new school?

* If you have rejected the chance of becoming a head or deputy headteacher, let us know why? Join the debate here

* And if you are already a headteacher, would you consider a second headship? Let us know. Join the debate now

Some new moves are afoot to solve the looming shortage of school leaders, writes Martin Whittaker.

Vivienne Rowcroft didn't want to be a head. For two decades she was happy to be a deputy at Meanwood community nursery and primary school, in Rochdale.

She was loath to seek promotion for various reasons. She could see the rising pressure her head was under, but it was mainly because she liked her deputy role and wanted to keep teaching Year 6.

When the head retired and the school failed to find a successor, she reluctantly stepped in. "I was acting head for 12 months, still having no intention of applying for the permanent position," she says. "But the longer I was in the role, the more I realised there were things within it that were as fulfilling and satisfying as being a class teacher."

Ms Rowcroft, 52, has now been head for three years and loves it.

"I realised that, far from losing contact with children, in fact I now have more contact with all the children in the school, as opposed to just the ones I was teaching," she explains.

She is now one of Rochdale's secret weapons in the battle to overcome a shortage of heads, giving talks about her experience to groups of deputies in which she calls herself a "reluctant head".

Martin Whittaker wrote “Quicker steps into headship” for the TES on 13 October 2006. Click here to read the whole article.