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National Leaders of Education/National Support Schools

"We are looking for outstanding school leaders who will help to perform key system leadership roles across schools, and whose own school has the capacity to provide effective assistance to other schools."

Recruitment of a fifth tranche of National Leaders of Education and National Support Schools

The application round for the fifth tranche of National Leaders of Education has now closed. Find out more about the application process.

Overview

National Leaders of Education (NLE) are outstanding school leaders who, together with the staff in their schools, use their knowledge and experience of teaching to provide additional leadership capacity to schools in difficulty. Many NLEs will have previously worked to support schools in difficulty and all have worked beyond their own school. National Support Schools (NSS) are the schools for which the NLE is a serving headteacher.

The first tranche of 60 NLEs was designated in October 2006, with a further 68 designated in July 2007. A third cohort took on the role in September 2008. The longer-term aim is to establish 500 NLEs by 2012, with 300 in primary schools and 200 in secondary schools, so creating a critical mass of system leaders across the country.

"Effective support from a National Leader of Education has reversed the decline and standards are now rising. The school has clearly benefitted from the support of the NLE." (Ofsted inspection report)

Objectives of the NLE/NSS programme

To provide, with the staff of their schools, additional leadership to schools in difficulty, including those in Ofsted categories and/or that may be in transition towards closure, amalgamation, federation or academy status.
To advise ministers and other key stakeholders on education policy.
To provide advice to NCSL on the development of the NLE/NSS initiative.

Impact of NLE and NSS

Schools leading schools: the power and potential of National Leaders of Education (2008) – this publication summarises the growing evidence that the NLE programme is becoming one of the most effective levers of school improvement in recent years.
Find out more and download the full report
Download the executive summary (68kb, 5 pages)

"The NLE programme is making a major contribution to leadership development and succession planning." (Peter Matthews)

"The NLE programme is becoming one of the most effective levers of school improvement in recent years…We potentially have the means to consign mediocre schooling to history." (Steve Munby)

"The improvement since the last inspection has been outstanding. This remarkable improvement has come about as a result of the outstanding leadership of the executive headteacher (an NLE)." (Ofsted inspection report)

Read the TES article, Struggling schools – Captains to steer through the storm.

Deployment

The deployment of NLEs and their NSS staff has been tailor-made to suit the needs of each school in challenging circumstances (the client school), and is the responsibility of local authorities. However, the following features will be common to all circumstances:

NLEs will provide additional leadership capacity and NSS staff will provide advice, guidance, support and challenge as appropriate.
The prime focus of the work of NLEs and NSS is to assist the client school in making significant progress in emerging from an Ofsted category or in avoiding going into one.
NLEs will be employed through contract to the local authority (although they may come from a neighbouring local authority). Individualised protocols clarifying lines of communication, levels of accountability and confidentiality will be clarified at the outset and made explicit in the light of the unique circumstances faced by the client school.
NCSL is responsible for providing quality assurance, support and training for NLEs and their NSS staff.

Fellowship Programme

The Fellowship Programme is the pinnacle of NCSL provision and offers an exciting opportunity to those who want to influence the wider education landscape as system leaders.

Support for National Challenge advisers

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