Leadership Pathways

Overview

Leadership Pathways is a self-directed, modular programme that provides personalised leadership learning. It is designed to be flexible to suit individuals contexts and needs. The programme extends over a period of one year and is designed with a heavy emphasis on work-based learning and application.

Leadership Pathways offers senior school leaders access to the latest in leadership thinking and school practice, in a very practical way, which will benefit their school as well as the individual. Nominated school-based coaches offer support and challenge to participants as they trial, refine and embed improved leadership practice across a whole school.

The whole school leadership and management experiences participants receive from this programme can help support those aspiring to take part in the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) This programme seeks to build on previous experience and development at a middle leadership level, for example, the Leading from the Middle (LftM) programme.

Leadership Pathways aims to support the development of senior school leaders through:

• active engagement in self-directed leadership learning
• deepening understanding of the current national and futures agendas
• helping develop the essential skills for learning in and managing effective networks
• increasing their ability to contribute to the development of the leadership capacity of colleagues
• enhancing their ability to build and sustain effective relationships in their school and its wider community
• increasing motivation to take on a more substantive leadership role in the future
• the opportunity to more ably demonstrate the impact their leadership has on the school

Eligibility

Leadership Pathways is aimed at senior leaders or those aspiring to a senior leadership position in the next 1-2 years:

• who have significant experience in school leadership roles
• who will have an opportunity to undertake a whole school leadership change project
• who have previous involvement in successful change management
• who have the motivation to direct own leadership learning
• who are currently based in school
• who have identified and willing to work in partnership with an in-school coach to further leadership learning
• who have the support of senior school leaders to undertake the programme (see also the expectations of school leaders document (25kb, 1 page) for more details)

Identifying your in-school coach

To help identify who would be a suitable in-school coach to work with you throughout the duration of this programme, please go to the In-school coach web page.

Availability

• The application round for cohort 7 has now closed.
• If you have applied for cohort 7 you will receive further communication from your regional provider in six to eight weeks.
• The next application round will be for cohort 8 to begin in September 2009 and will be open from 27 April 2009 until 12 June 2009.
• Taster sessions are available regionally to find out more about Leadership Pathways.