Two exuberant 10-year-olds lead the way up several flights of stairs to their head teacher’s office. They are among more than 450 pupils at Surrey Square primary school, on the edge of the vast Aylesbury housing estate in south London.
Nicola Noble, their headteacher, is unusual among her professional peers in that she holds this senior, demanding post on a part-time basis, and encourages staff to do the same if they want to. The result, she says, as she sits in her office decorated with inspirational quotes, story books, trophies and a large wooden giraffe, is “high outcomes for children, and a very stable [workforce]”. Her school is rated outstanding by Ofsted, the UK schools inspectorate.
Employers must overcome scepticism and be creative when it comes to flexible working, says Ms Noble. Currently she is paid for four days’ work a week, which she spreads over five. That means she leaves home every morning at 6.30am, allowing her to finish work at times that fit with family life. Until recently, she was a co-head, sharing her job with Liz Robinson. Both women worked four full days a week and overlapped for two.