Bangor University involved in accreditation of National School Leadership Programme

Media Release from Welsh Education Consortia

Welsh Education Consortia Endorsed by New Academy to Deliver First National School Leadership Programme 

This week’s national day for the Newly Appointed and Acting  Headteachers Leadership Development Programme, which includes keynote inspirational speaker Sir John Jones, is the culmination of a term of firsts for the welsh education consortia.  This is the first national leadership development programme resulting from a collaboration of all four consortia, the first to successfully achieve programme validation through Accreditation Partners Bangor University and Yr Athrofa (University of Trinity Saint David) and the very first to be successfully endorsed by the recently established National Academy for Educational Leadership (NAEL).

The four consortia have been increasingly working together, pooling resources, experience and sharing best practice to deliver  higher quality, even better value, uniform services to the schools it serves and, as such, have over the past 18 months developed a wide-ranging programme of collaborative projects.  The Leadership Development Programme, part of the consortia national project portfolio, aims to develop uniform, high quality provision for aspiring head teachers, head teachers new to post and experienced head teachers for delivery across the four regions to increase the number of skilled leaders across Wales. These programmes are in response to the  Education in Wales: Our National Mission” objective to cultivate “inspirational leaders working collaboratively to raise standards.”  The “Newly Appointed and Acting Headteacher” programme is the first of these programmes to be completed and commenced delivery in September 2018.

The programme is not only an alliance of the four consortia but a real partnership across the education spectrum, with Headteachers from across Wales attending  workshops to assist and advise upon programme design. Additionally, the programme was comprehensively reviewed  by Headteacher Strategy groups from across Wales and Local Authority Education Directors. Higher Education organisations Yr Athrofa (UTSD) and Bangor University have also played significant role developing and delivering programme modules and evaluation processes.

Debbie Harteveld consortia programme sponsor and EAS Managing Director, said:

“The process has not been without its challenges, but ultimately, it has been exciting and rewarding to work closely with colleagues on the first truly collaborative national leadership development programme. This is just the first of what will be a continuum of leadership development programmes offering high-quality leadership development provision to teachers at every stage in their career wherever they may teach or live in Wales.

These programmes provide teachers with the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills throughout their professional life. In addition, following a tender process the consortia engaged a partnership of Bangor University and Yr Athrofa to accredit not only the Newly Appointed and Acting Headteacher programme but all forthcoming leadership programmes, offering teachers and headteachers the opportunity to seek accreditation and a formal qualification ranging from a post-graduate certificate through to a senior doctorate. Course participants may also seek to gain credits from work-based learning activity leading towards qualifications.

Almost two years of collaborative endeavour led, in July 2018, to submission of the Newly Appointed and Acting Headteachers’ programme to the National Academy of Educational Leadership for endorsement.  The programme subsequently became the first and only one to date, to achieve endorsement, a significant and positive step forward for both the consortia and the academy with feedback from the panel stating that this was:

‘An exciting, well-developed programme that has set a high standard for future endorsement activity by the NAEL. The endorsement panel felt that the provision, developed from the morphing of existing regional programmes, is inspirational in its vision for newly appointed and acting headteachers and is fully aligned with the NAEL’s focus on the leadership of learning.’

This week realises another first for the consortia, the first national day for the Newly Appointed and Acting Headteachers’ programme that sees 120 participants gathered at the Marriott Hotel in Swansea for a carefully constructed programme of workshops and speakers designed to inform and inspire the assembled educational leaders of tomorrow.”

Programme speaker and CEO of the National Academy of Education Leadership, Huw Foster Evans said:

“The National Academy for Educational Leadership is very pleased to be present for the official launch of the Programme for Newly Appointed and Acting Headteachers. This is the first programme to be endorsed by the Academy and we want to say a big thank you to the partnership of the four regions, local authorities and universities for their work. We are confident that this new programme will offer inspiration and support for a new generation of Headteachers who play such a key role in leading the learning for our children and young people.”

For further information about leadership development programmes please contact Cross Regional Strategic Lead, Rhys Howard Hughes: rhyshowardhughes@gwegogledd.cymru

Publication date: 8 November 2018