This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New drive to improve school leadership
22/04/2005
A new team of education experts to strengthen leadership
in Scotland's schools is to be set up.
The Executive and the Hunter Foundation have joined
forces to fund the team.
It will ensure headteachers, directors of education and
other senior staff have access to world-class thinking and
leadership development opportunities.
The team, backed by joint funding of £500,000 a year,
will use examples of good practice from around the world to
strengthen existing leadership programmes and to develop
new, innovative models.
Education Minister Peter Peacock said:
"The importance of the quality of school leadership
cannot be under-estimated. Excellence in leadership makes
all the difference to a child's success at school and in
later life."
Tom Hunter, chairman of The Hunter Foundation said:
"This is again about raising our overall game in
education to ensure that Scotland leads the world in
delivering the very best in leadership."
Mr Peacock added:
"Today's announcement is another exciting partnership
with the Hunter Foundation and will underpin our drive for
ambitious, excellent schools in every Scottish community.
It will help schools and education authorities access the
best possible leadership development opportunities."
Mr Hunter added:
"The small, highly effective team of professionals will
not be a delivery vehicle, more an organisation that can
determine gaps in the marketplace and define solutions to
those gaps. In addition it will provide a dynamic source of
knowledge to the provider in the pursuit of excellence for
all."
Adverts for an expert to head up the new team will
appear shortly but work to drive forward the leadership
agenda will continue in the meantime.
Building on the success of a pilot scheme at Columba
1400 on Skye last year, which saw 90 senior education staff
take part in a headteacher leadership academy programme,
The Hunter Foundation and the Executive will invest a
further £500,000 in Columba 1400 this year.
This will fund additional places and three new pilot
leadership projects:
- models of engaging whole schools (pupils and
teachers) in leadership development
- a 'whole community' leadership programme, where a
cross-section of teachers, pupils, parents and key
community bodies will participate in a leadership
development programme
- collegiate leadership working across several
schools and education authorities
The Executive and the Hunter Foundation have been
undertaking research in other parts of the UK and abroad to
examine best practice in leadership development.
The new team will work directly with education
authorities and use this best practice to support existing
leadership programmes and develop new ones which stretch
the boundaries of existing practice.
The estimated cost of the team is £500,000 a year. The
Hunter Foundation will provide around £100,000 a year, with
the Executive making up the balance.
The Hunter Foundation and the Executive are also to
jointly invest £500,000 in Columba 1400 to provide further
places on the headteacher leadership academy programme and
to pilot three new leadership projects.