Black Country Leadership Strategy

NCSL is responsible for the Leadership Strategy within City Challenge. NCSL will be working closely with partners including government departments, schools and local authorities and a range of key stakeholders, to supply a range of bespoke school support and leadership development opportunities.

The Black Country Challenge will be working with the following four local authorities to achieve the programme objectives:

• Wolverhampton
• Walsall
• Sandwell
• Dudley

By 2011, our aim in the Black Country is to have:

• a team of highly skilled Black Country local leaders in education with a track record of successful and effective leadership in their own school(s) and an ability to engage constructively and support other schools
• a number of school ‘hubs’ that will be developed as ‘Challenge Teaching Schools’ within the Black Country Challenge. Based on some of the elements of a teaching hospital in the medical profession, a challenge teaching school will be a source of support for other schools within the Challenge, helping to develop future leaders as well as leadership capacity more generally
• a central database able to identify leadership expertise across the Black Country, and deploy resources quickly and effectively
• excellent systems for ensuring effective and sustainable recruitment, retention and progression – as well as robust strategies for effective succession planning
• a bank of case studies and publications which illustrate excellent leadership practice and which establish the Black Country as a beacon in leadership development

Opportunities within the Leadership Strategy

NCSL is currently recruiting for Black Country Local Leaders of Education (BCLLE). BCLLEs will be experienced heads who are able to support a school in challenging circumstances through 1:1 mentoring support.

Read more about opportunities to become a Black Country Local Leader of Education.

How to contact us

For further information, please email the Black Country Leadership Strategy team at [email protected].