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Achieving excellence in academy leadership

Subject: Academies
Audience: Headteachers, Middle leaders and aspiring headteachers, Stakeholders and partners, Governors
Date of publication: January 2011   |   File format and size: PDF, 94 Kb

From demonstrating creative practices to establishing accountable systems, the qualities and behaviours of a successful academy leader are identified and demonstrated in this resource. It can be used for many different purposes including self-review, recruitment and performance management.

This resource considers the distinctiveness of leading in academies, both for sponsored and conversion academies. It offers a set of qualities and behaviours which can be used flexibly in a range of ways by:

  • individuals at various stages of their leadership journey
  • academies as they develop themselves and their staff and teams
  • schools converting to academies
  • groups of academies, working together to improve leadership
  • the National College as it considers future leadership activities and programmes, including targeted support for academy leaders
  • others in the system working with academy leaders

This resource was developed in consultation with existing leaders in academies and builds on and reflects the National Standards for Headteachers. This is not a definitive framework, but rather a flexible and versatile resource. Suggestions for its use are included later in this guidance.