Be inspired

Read about how exceptional leadership gave Paul Stone the drive and determination to pursue his own headship, and in turn make a huge impact on attainment for hundreds of children.

Ofsted Shadowing Programme case studies

Read case studies from participants on this popular programme for black and Asian teachers.

Information for aspirant leaders

It is important that we encourage and support individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our school leadership population should represent the diverse pupil population it serves, and the strength of that leadership is drawn from encouraging a diverse range of views, approaches and experiences.

What steps can you take to support your leadership development?

Career planning

To overcome the barriers to progression, it is important that you plan your career and develop clear strategies for overcoming any barriers. Successful career planning involves:

knowing what posts exist in education and what are the requirements
knowing current school requirements for leadership and anticipating what future needs are likely to be
identifying your personal and professional strengths and areas for development
matching your abilities, preferences and aptitudes to the right leadership position and context
mapping approximately where you’d like to be by a particular time
creating a personal and professional development plan to get you there

Career guidance

Working with a trained careers guidance officer will assist you in your career planning. Some local authorities have schemes specifically designed to assist with career planning.

Accessing support and career development opportunities

Career development opportunities exist within a variety of places, including:

National College development opportunities

We run a number of programmes to support leadership progression, and we also fund local and regional support initiatives for under-represented groups of aspirant leaders.

Regional-targeted diversity support - College-funded activities that aim to increase the number of people from under-represented groups in leadership positions and raise awareness of the importance of developing a diverse workforce.
Equal Access to Promotion - supports the professional development needs of black and minority ethnic (BME) teachers in middle leadership, and provides support for them to move on to senior leadership roles.
Ofsted Shadowing Programme - for black and Asian senior teachers who are considering applying for senior leadership and headship positions.
Middle Leadership Development Programme - enables groups of schools, academies and children's centres to deliver professional development to their own middle leaders.
Leadership Pathways - focuses on developing whole school leadership and giving senior leaders the skills that they need to reach their full potential.
National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) - the recommended qualification for headship.
Be a head - this support programme is for NPQH graduates who need help to progress through the next stages of their career.

School career development opportunities

Schools offer various opportunities to extend your leadership skills. Identify an area you want to contribute to, and ask your line manager or headteacher for the opportunity to lead or share in the leadership. For example:

leading a whole school working party
assisting a deputy or assistant head to deliver their lead area
delivering whole school INSET or centre training
taking responsibility for the school council or pupil voice
acting up opportunities
shadowing opportunities
mentoring a newly-qualified or student teacher to develop line management skills
leading the introduction of a new policy (for example, an anti-bullying policy)

Before taking this to your manager or headteacher, you will need to consider:

how long you want to do this work for
whether you expect remuneration
what skills you want to develop
what the desired outcomes are

Local authority career development opportunities

This can vary from authority to authority. A good place to start is to find out what is on offer and who is responsible for workforce development or succession planning. Opportunities may include:

networking groups for assistant and deputy heads
local leadership development programmes
a register of up-and-coming leaders
local personal development programmes
support for applying for NPQH
leadership seminars and workshops
a school leadership newsletter
shadowing opportunities
secondment opportunities
research bursaries and sabbaticals
subsidised education, for example, MAs

Opportunities may be specifically for teachers from under-represented groups, while some of it will be generic.

Further information

Career planning - a tool to assist teachers in their career planning
Women into headship - an exploration of why there's such a discrepancy between the number of women teaching and the number of women leading
Career moves - a guide for aspiring leaders aiming to step up to headship in the next five years
Go for it: reasons to be a headteacher - an insight into why people choose to do the job and what to do to progress to headship