- Derrick Inganga argues that successful schools are built by strong teaching teams, not individual personalities.
- He says headteachers provide leadership, but teachers translate institutional vision into everyday learning and mentorship.
- Inganga calls for greater investment in teachers, professional accountability and recognition of their contribution to learners.
A school is not made great by the name of its headteacher. It is made great by the people who teach, mentor and inspire its learners every single day.
In many schools, the headteacher receives most of the praise when results are good—and most of the blame when things go wrong. Leadership matters, certainly. But let us not make the mistake of thinking that one person can build a successful school alone.
A headteacher may set the vision, but teachers give that vision life.
Teachers are the heartbeat of a school. They spend hours in classrooms, laboratories, fields and staffrooms shaping young minds. They know the learners individually—their strengths, weaknesses, fears, talents and potential. They are the ones who turn curriculum documents into meaningful lessons and school policies into daily practice.
A brilliant headteacher without committed teachers is like a captain with no crew. The direction may be clear, but the ship will not move.
The truth is simple: you cannot have an excellent school with mediocre teaching.
A school may have impressive buildings, modern facilities, a celebrated headteacher and glossy brochures. But when learners enter classrooms and find teachers who are unprepared, unmotivated or indifferent, the image quickly becomes an illusion.
Conversely, a school with modest facilities can achieve remarkable results when its teachers are dedicated, innovative and united by a common purpose.
Teachers also determine the culture of a school. Their punctuality teaches punctuality. Their discipline teaches discipline. Their passion for knowledge creates a culture of learning. Their treatment of learners teaches children how to treat others.
This is why school leadership must go beyond supervising teachers. It must invest in them, listen to them, develop them and hold them accountable.
A headteacher cannot be everywhere. He or she cannot personally teach every lesson, mark every exercise book, counsel every learner or monitor every classroom. The success of the school therefore depends heavily on the professionalism of the teaching team.
Education is not a one-man show
And there is another uncomfortable truth: when a school fails, we should not always look first to the headteacher. We should look at the entire system.
Are teachers motivated? Are they competent? Do they collaborate? Are they being supported? Are they held to high standards? Do they care about the learners beyond examination results?
These questions matter because education is not a one-man show.
The headteacher is the leader, but teachers are the engine room. Parents are partners. Learners are the reason the institution exists. Support staff keep the machinery running. Governors and boards provide oversight. Every part matters.
Ultimately, however, the teacher stands closest to the learner—and therefore closest to the real business of education.
Build strong teaching teams
So, if we want better schools, let us stop worshipping personalities and start building strong teams.
Celebrate good headteachers, yes. But celebrate outstanding teachers too. Recruit well. Train continuously. Reward excellence. Correct failure. Create professional environments where good teachers can thrive.
Because when the final bell rings and the school gates close, the legacy of a school will not be remembered merely by the name of the person who occupied the headteacher’s office.
It will be remembered by the quality of the young people who walked through its classrooms—and behind those young people will be the teachers who helped shape them.
A headteacher can lead a school. But only a strong team of teachers can make it great.
By Derrick Inganga
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