Leadership for Closing the Gap 2010-11

Our Leadership for Closing the Gap project has enabled groups to start or accelerate activity that can be sustained to develop leadership at all levels, and will result in the closing of gaps for an identified group of young people.

By closing the gap, we mean removing differences in outcomes for specific groups, as well as those for all children and young people, against a background of improvement for all. The initiative was aimed at improving leadership for closing gaps in achievement by:

increasing leaders’ confidence and capacity to act
demonstrating effective leadership approaches
broadening understanding of successful practice
sharing outcomes with a wider audience

The initiative offers groups working in partnerships and collaborations beyond the school the flexibility to develop an approach based on local context. Groups have submitted an action plan which identifies milestones and intermediate outcomes that are expected within the timescale of the initiative.

This year the initiative has been redesigned to allow groups more time and flexibility with their projects. One of the ways we have done this is to remove the compulsory launch event, and the formal regional events in March. We have also moved most of the support activity online using our new online networking tool, telephone conferencing and online resources. This activity will be carefully planned to maintain the strength of the initiative, offer support and guidance where necessary, and signpost useful resources.

Groups have been allocated a school associate who will provide both face-to-face and telephone support. They will visit your school, act as a coach to your group if needed, signpost relevant National College materials and resources, and provide access and facilitation to a network of other groups tackling similar issues. Groups should contact their allocated school associate if they wish to discuss their groups’ activity or seek guidance on how to progress it further.

The application round for this initiative has now closed. However if you wish to be involved or learn more about it, please email closingthegap@nationalcollege.org.uk for further information.

Resources for participants

Our leadership library contains a set of Leadership for Closing the Gap resources specifically written for groups taking part in the initiative. They are, however, available for anyone looking to close gaps in their own setting. The resources include research reports and summaries, case studies, activities and further reading which are grouped under the following six themes:

creating and agreeing a shared vision
working effectively with other schools and local communities
creating a learning culture for adults and young people
using data and intelligence in your leadership for narrowing the gap initiative
developing a workforce while leading a narrowing the gap project
focusing the organisation to address gaps in student outcomes