About This Course
Designed for education professionals, this module explores leadership in times of organisational change. Learners will critically evaluate theories of change, leadership capabilities, and policy influences, drawing on national and international perspectives. It equips professionals to lead meaningful improvement confidently and effectively within their own educational contexts.
Who is this course suitable for?
Practitioners currently working within the education sector. This may include, but is not restricted to:
- Senior leaders
- Teachers
- Teaching assistants
- ALNCos
- Practitioners working in the local authority
- School improvement partners
- Estyn staff
Why study this course
By the end of the module the student should be able to:
- Critically examine the contribution of leadership to successful organisational change and improvement
- Evaluate key debates around theories of change and change management, at the school and system level
- Examine the leadership capabilities required to effectively lead and implement change at the school and system level
- Evaluate the internal and external factors, including policy imperatives, that affect any organisational change and improvement.
- Critically compare and reflect upon different approaches to organisational change, nationally and internationally and apply them to the student’s own context.
How long does this course take to complete?
This short course runs over eleven weeks. Students will be expected to work through self-guided workbooks and attend two 7-hour online teaching days.
Information about any assessments
This module requires students to produce a 4000 word patchwork text that explores the process of introducing/refining an aspect of leading organisational change.
Course Content
What will you study on this course?
Learners will examine the complex processes of leading organisational change within educational settings, with a focus on both school-level and wider system-level improvement. The module explores key theories of change and change management, enabling students to engage critically with current debates and frameworks that shape organisational transformation.
Through comparative analysis of national and international approaches, learners will evaluate how internal factors—such as leadership capabilities—and external influences, including policy imperatives, interact to drive or hinder effective change. Students will be encouraged to reflect on real-world examples and consider how different strategies align with or challenge existing practices within their own settings.
The course provides a practical and theoretical foundation for professionals looking to lead change confidently and ethically in times of uncertainty. Emphasis is placed on developing leadership insight that is adaptable, context-aware, and rooted in a critical understanding of the challenges and opportunities present in dynamic educational environments.
By the end of the module, students will be equipped to lead with purpose, apply key leadership theories to their own context, and navigate the complexities of implementing sustainable, impactful organisational change.
Further information
All online workbooks are available bilingually. Where possible, online synchronous sessions will be offered in both Welsh and English. However, please note that if there are insufficient Welsh-speaking participants to enable meaningful discussion, you may be invited to join an English-medium session.
Does the learner require any specific qualification or work experience?
Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree in any subject. To be able to complete reflective activities within the workbooks and assignments, applicants must also hold a current role within the education sector.
Level of Welsh language skills
Fluent if you are completing the course via the Welsh Medium.
Not required if you are completing the course via the English Medium.
Application
Application
How to Apply
Please make sure you read and follow the step-by-step application guide as this will specify which sections of the application form are compulsory for the type of course you want to apply for and save you time.
Please prepare the following information (in a Word document):
- Current employment details;
- Years of experience, and employment history (where relevant)
- Name of staff member and organisation that have approved your funding for this module.
This will speed up the process of completing the application form.
To apply for this course, you need to create an account in our APPLICANT PORTAL
You will need access to the email address you specify while creating your account to confirm it.
After creating an account, you will see a homepage with several tabs:
- Personal
- Programme
- Info
- Contact
- Education
- Employment
- Language
- Finance
You need to complete all sections before submitting your application.
When a section is complete, a ‘tick’ symbol will appear below it.
- Click on ‘Non-graduating applications / Stand alone Modules’, then select ‘Non-graduating Undergraduate’.
- In the next section, select Non-Graduating Taught Modules in Health(NGU/HS) Click Save and Continue.
- On the next page, the default for the first question is Full Time. You need to change this to ‘Part time’:
- You now need to input the module code. Leading Organisational Change : the code is XME-4302; XMC-4302. This section must be completed for your application to be processed.
- You also need to state the start date. Please make your selection, then click ‘Save and Continue’.
- IMPORTANT: You do not need to write a personal statement to apply for this course. Instead, please upload the document including employment, experience and education information that you have created prior to starting the application that contains the name of your current employer, the number of years of experience you have, and your highest qualification to date. Click Save and continue.
You only need to enter the details of your highest qualification to date, e.g. if you have a postgraduate qualification, please only only include this.
You will be asked for evidence of the qualification. Please either upload a copy of your qualification if it's easily accessible, or upload the Word document again (that you prepared earlier).
(details not required as you've already prepared this)
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘I have no employment history’ (as you have already provided this in your Word document).
If you are funded, please answer the questions as follows:
- How will you finance your studies? Sponsored
- Exact name of funding authority:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Give details of the amount of the award? Fully funded.
- Sponsorship will cover: Tuition Fees
- Have you been awarded this funding? Please select ‘yes’ * Note that you will be required to upload evidence of the funding. If you wish to confirm ‘yes’ to this question, but do not have any written confirmation to upload, you can upload your Word document here again.
If you are self-funding, please provide all details as appropriate.