When a new headmaster is announced, does anyone get nervous? Is it anything to be worried about if the new headmaster has had no secondary school experience? Or is educational philosophy more important?
I wouldn’t say nervous, but expecting that there will be changes. Some might be good. Some may not be. Really, all you can do is trust in the search committee and hope they found a candidate who will continue the essential nature of what the school has been doing for years.
There can be many changes with a new head, some for the better but not always. New administration like to put their own stamp on things, own thoughts and philosophies into play. A lot can depend on how you much you liked the outgoing headmaster and if you are happy with the current course or think the school would benefit from some updates and changes.
Our school just went through its first year with a new HOS. The previous one, completely beloved, had announced years in advance to the Board when she planned to retire. The process to hire a new HOS was very involved and inclusive. Everyone was thrilled with the choice (and he came from a college, not another secondary school) when it was announced and a year later. The school has a strong culture, lots of faculty who have been there a long time to help preserve it, etc. I suspect the new HOS, when he retires, will have left his mark on the school in his way, as each of the prior ones have done. But it is, in the end, a community, so he can only mark it to the extent that what he wants for the school is consistent with what the rest of the community wants for it too.
I would think that how much it matters depends on how “top down” the school is in how it’s run, but heads retire, so it’s inevitable.