Abstract The paper presents selected main results of a research project focused on the specificities of village school management. The main objective of the research was to explore the role of school headmasters in school management processes and to identify the key factors affecting this role, using a qualitative case study. The analysis of the collected data resulted in drawing a profile of a particular headmaster and her approach to school management in a specific village school. The key determining factors of this approach are presented and explained first and then key management strategies are described. The wider implications of the management style are discussed, too.