Next Practice in System Leadership

The Innovation Challenge

Across the country the landscape of school leadership is being transformed. One of the most striking and important trends is leadership beyond a single institution. This development is profoundly altering our long-standing models of school leadership. A significant number of able Headteachers have begun to take on a variety of different system leadership roles, such as becoming executive heads of failing schools, heads of federations, consultant leaders or school improvement partners. However, little knowledge existed on how to develop 'system leadership' involving groups of schools and locality partners to create federations and all-through schools; delivery of the five Every Child Matters outcomes; development the 14-19 curriculum; and development of whole town services.

The challenge for this project was to identify emerging examples of system leadership and support the development and spread of successful approaches across the system.

Our Approach

Emerging examples of innovative practice in system leadership were indentified and then supported to develop and spread successful approaches across the system.

Ideas were stimulated through a series of creative events. Sixteen sites were then chosen to have their ideas and proposals further developed and supported. They received dedicated support to further their ideas and help to broker connections with schools and other people who could help.

The sites were as follows:

• 3Es Coalition, South East & West Midlands
• Harris Federation of South London Schools
• Cumbria 14-19 Strategic Partnership
• Stevenage 14-19 Partnership, Hertfordshire
• Haven, Essex
• West Wiltshire Federation of Schools
• Darlington Education Village, County Durham
• Queens Park Alliance, Bedfordshire
• Hailsham Partnership, East Sussex
• Central Leeds Learning Federation, Leeds
• Yewlands Family of Schools, Sheffield
• Remaking Learning, Barnsley
• Chichester Community Alliance, West Sussex
• North Hartlepool Extended Services Partnership
• Knowsley Local Authority
• Winsford Education Partnership, Cheshire

Outcomes

The project led to the development of a number of different 'system' models of leadership which have helped to:

• Spread high quality leadership across schools
• Strengthen support to schools causing concern
• Deliver provision beyond the capacity of a single school
• Provide better services in a locality
• Resolve Headteachers succession issues
• Engage the community
• Strengthen local accountability
• Raise aspirations of parents and pupils
• Link to a broader regeneration agenda
• Make the most of Building Schools for the Future

One key output from the project was the Models of Leadership toolkit and the project led to a follow on phase of work with NCSL around Models of Leadership.

Tools & processes

• Delta 6
• Looking to Learn
• Baselining
• Self-Evaluation Toolkit
• Governance Landing Pad
• To Be
• Bridge Change Leadership Framework
• Models of Leadership toolkit

Project contacts

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