About learning-centred leadership

Learning-centred leadership is a set of strategies that influence the quality of learning and teaching in classrooms. Leading learning, and raising standards and pupils’ achievements, are the most important things schools leaders do. Our research in this area has concentrated on exploring how leaders make a difference.

Learning-centred leaders are thought to influence learning and teaching in three ways (Hallinger & Heck, 1999):

directly – where leaders’ actions directly influence school outcomes
indirectly – where leaders affect outcomes indirectly through other variables
reciprocally – when the leader or leaders affect teachers and teachers affect the leaders, and through these processes outcomes are affected

Although all three forms of influence can be seen in the work of headteachers and other leaders, it is the indirect effects which are the largest and most common. This is because leaders work with and through others: headteachers, deputies, heads of departments and key stage co-ordinators all rely on colleagues to put into practice agreed ways of working.

Effective school leaders work on their indirect influence through various processes. These can be summarised as three interrelated and overlapping strategies: modelling, monitoring and dialogue. Each makes a difference, but it is their combined effect which really matters.

Modelling curiosity about teaching methods and classroom processes conveys to everyone that the core business of the school is uppermost in the minds of the leaders. Monitoring what happens in classrooms, looking at pupil outcome data and observing teaching practice demonstrates what leaders are paying attention to. Additionally, talking about learning and teaching, challenging conventional practices, identifying and valuing good teaching also reinforces these messages.

Together, the three strategies create powerful learning for teachers and leaders which, in turn, develops stronger understanding and appreciation of teaching and learning. For this reason, learning-centred leadership is an appropriate term because it reflects the fact that it centres on pupil, teacher, staff and the leaders’ learning.

The National College has identified a set of strategies that school leaders can use to help improve learning and teaching. By working closely with leaders at all levels in schools, we have produced a range of resources exploring the issues and opportunities presented by learning-centred leadership.

Related resources

Learning-centred leadership website
Learning-centred leadership is about how school leaders influence learning and teaching in classrooms and across the school. This microsite is designed to encourage reflection and debate.
Learning-centred leadership development tool
Self-evaluation tool
Our self-evaluation tool allows you to review your own practice by answering questions in six key areas, identified by school leaders as being essential to learning-centred leadership.
Distributed leadership
Distributed leadership is about how schools share leadership in a way that improves pupil outcomes. This section provides further information, and links to a microsite.