This article reports an approach to the study of the work of headteachers, namely PersonalConstruct Theory and Repertory Grid. This was used to study what the heads of 12primary schools regarded as important/unimportant in their work. 97 elements, whichprovide a list of activities that each head had identified as part of his or her job, wereelicited. Analysis of the elements revealed a high degree of similarity in the headsperceptions. 84 constructs were abstracted. These in turn were grouped together to formprincipal construct themes. The analysis of the grids suggests that headteachers have amore coherent view of their work than the fragmented picture portrayed by Mintzbergs observational studies. The grids showed that at the core of their personal constructs werechildren and education. Heads saw themselves as education managers, not simply managerswho happened to be in educational settings.
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