Sharing Good Practice
of what CPD will help you become a SL . British Curriculum schools favour National Professional Qualifications ( NPQs ) with NPQSL being the one aimed at aspirant Senior Leaders . These qualifications can be undertaken remotely , or face to face . I have delivered both ways , and much prefer face to face . These qualifications are not UK curriculum based , so are suitable for developing leaders in all schools .
There are three new NPQs which are specialist qualifications , NPQ for Leading Teaching ( NPQLT ),
NPQ for Leading Behaviour and Culture ( NPQLBC ) and NPQ for Leading Teacher Development ( NPQLTD ). These will provide CPD for teachers who want to focus on classroom teaching , whether or not they move into school leadership . NPQML has been discontinued , and the content in the remaining NPQs ( NPQSL , NPQH and NPQEL ) has been adapted .
Other international schools will have their own leadership curriculum . Any programme should cover 10 areas of school leadership .
5 School Culture 5 Teaching 5 Curriculum and Assessment 5 Behaviour
5 Additional and Special Needs and Disability
5 Professional Development 5 Organisational Management 5 Implementation 5 Working in Partnership 5 Governance and Accountability
Other schools prefer a more bespoke version . They may appoint an external consultant who can deliver a bespoke leadership programme to all their leaders . I have done this with whole school leadership teams , consisting of Middle , Senior Leaders and Principals . This can provide a cost effective solution , while ensuring all leaders in a school are working from a shared understanding and common language of the vision and leadership in their school .
Whatever CPD you undertake the curriculum should aim to develop expertise that is flexible and allows you to respond to the challenges you will encounter in a range of contexts . It should develop expertise that can be applied to both identifying and addressing persistent and common challenges in school leadership .
How can potential Senior Leaders prepare themselves ?
Shadow SLs to gain valuable insights into the role . Talk to them about the role , understand the complexity and potential challenges , look at policy documents to familiarise yourself with them .
Emulate the role . Ask to see strategic documents , especially budget . Discuss these with a member of the SLT . Seek out and take up any leadership opportunities around and beyond the school . A short term secondment to a school needing support is great experience .
Dress for the role you are aiming for !
Be visible , attend networking events beyond your school . Be visible online .
Look at SL job description , identify your gaps in experience and expertise . Undertake CPD to upskill for Senior Leadership . Most countries now have standards for Principals , and some for Senior Leaders as well . In UAE there are Professional Standards for Principals adec _ professional _ standarda _ for _ principals . pdf ( unrwa . org ) which set out clear competencies and indices for Principals . Start to audit yourself against these , you will begin to get a feel for where your gaps might be .
Look for a senior leadership programme that incorporates a school improvement project or set up and carry out one of your own . The project needs to be one where the quality of teaching and learning is improved and there is a measurable attainment . You need to show that during such projects you have understood the key components of improving school performance . You will need a structured plan , an audit existing provision using data and school improvement priorities . You will need to discuss and set target ( s ) with SLT member ( s ) before you begin to implement , and then to set up and lead a team to carry out the project through to the end .
Finally , your review and evaluation need to show how you have demonstrated impact , what leadership skills you have learned , and what you have learned from the project . Be honest about what has gone wrong as learning from this can be a powerful indicator of your leadership capacity . Finally , collate your evidence and try to get a meeting to present to SLT , Governors or Board Members .
Being a SL is a challenging , complex , demanding job , but the personal satisfaction levels are fantastic . Have a go , you might just be ready !
PREPARE PRACTICE PERFECT PROMOTION
Jeni is an experienced Education Consultant , working across the UK and Internationally . She has been a successful Principal and Local Education Authority Change Management and Assessment Consultant . She had a range of system wide roles developing leaders across the UK whilst working at NCSL , where she also led all the Middle Leadership Level Programmes . She has developed , delivered , and evaluated national leadership programmes across India , and delivered NPQs in the UK and internationally . Jeni is a trained school inspector , Certified Coach and Lead Facilitator . She has carried out inspections , virtually and face to face across the Emirates in UAE . Jeni is also a regular contributor to podcasts and LinkedIn Live .
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