The main purpose of this study was to critically examine the impact of school heads leadership styles on students‟ academic performance in public secondary schools in Magu District. The specific objectives covered were to determine the leadership styles used by school heads in Magu District Public Secondary Schools; to establish the level at which school heads relationship with subordinates influence students‟ academic performance in Magu District Public Secondary Schools; to investigate the contribution of school heads leadership styles on students‟ academic performance in Magu District Public Secondary Schools and; to establish the relationship between school heads leadership styles and students‟ academic performance in Magu district Public Secondary Schools. The study adapted the contingency theory of leadership supported by Okumbe (1998) which has been used to determine school heads leadership styles effectiveness in schools. The theory is therefore appropriate because it advocates for the school heads to use appropriate leadership styles depending on the situation. The study obtained information from 217 participants from 4 sampled secondary schools. The researcher used questionnaires, observation and interview guide to collect data. The Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and themes. The study used convergent parallel research design and the findings were presented using tables, graphs and charts in form of percentage and frequency. The study found out that all three leadership styles i.e. Democratic, Autocratic and Laissez-faire were applied in Magu District Secondary Schools. The study recommended that all school heads should apply participatory leadership style in public secondary schools for better improvement on students‟ academic performance.