Early Headship Coaching

The Early Headship Coaching (EHCO) programme provides structured, unassessed face-to-face support for new leaders in their first five years of headship.

The programme is a targeted package of support, based on the latest and best available evidence about what makes an effective Head. A personalised, practical and flexible programme, the focus is on helping you to maximise your impact as a head and deal with the challenges you face in your school context.

It is available to any new head who has EITHER completed the new/reformed NPQH before becoming a head OR is currently taking the existing NPQH.

• Essential knowledge: There is no fluff – the programme was developed by education leaders, so that every minute spent working towards an EHCO will enable you to make a greater impact as a head.
• Research-informed practice: You’ll have access to the latest and best evidence of what works in education, but will also be supported in turning it into real, hands-on practice in managing and leading a school.
• ‘Act like leaders’: Complementing the new NPQH programme’s focus on how to ‘think like leaders’, this programme with show you how to further develop your leadership mindset to display complementary leadership behaviours.
• ‘Meaning-making phase’: Further developing your self-reflection, observation and analysis of your own leadership and development, as well as its impact on the school and the school improvement process.
• Create a positive culture: You’ll gain further insight into how to develop school-wide systems to support your staff and pupils. This will enable staff to teach to the best of their ability and will allow pupils to flourish.
• Community of educators: You’ll be part of a diverse community of educators, all learning from one another during the course – and potentially afterwards, too.
• Fulfilment: The better and more knowledgeable you are at your job, the more enjoyable and exciting you will find it – and that enthusiasm will be passed on to your pupils.

We are a new, pioneering institute, representing a diverse community of schools. We have worked with experienced leaders who are specialists in their fields to develop an Early Headship Coaching Offer that specifically addresses the challenges facing teachers today.

It is an exciting time to be a school leader right now: there is an ever-increasing body of evidence of what works in education. We will be generating our own research, and putting those findings to immediate use in the classroom. We are part of a new school-led movement to change education – if you join us, you will be helping to shape the teaching profession. And you will be learning alongside similarly enthusiastic school leaders, building networks and forging connections.

We are rooted in schools. We know the unpredictability of school life – the day-to-day challenges that teachers face. Our time-efficient EHCO has been drawn up specifically to meet the needs of busy leaders. Our programme will give you only the information essential to becoming the best and most effective leader you can be.

• Coaching/Mentoring - one to one and small group.
• Optional online sessions, delivered in cohorts to help you build networks.
• Optional self-study units covering the full NPQH framework.
• Content provided by national experts from within and beyond our partnership.
• Addresses recognised challenges facing new head teachers, including SEND, exclusions, HR, governance, budgeting and school development planning – with the focus on providing practical examples and guidance.
• Online seminars (optional), with one of the outstanding school leaders in our partnership regions, with:
  • opportunities for network building and to engage with exemplary practice following the principles which underpin the NPQ programmes.
  • focus on specific leadership challenges

Start date: Monthly

Programme length: 9 – 18 months (tailored to participant)

Online seminars: 12 hours (optional)

Online mentoring/coaching: 8 hours

Optional online self-study: up to x20 2-hour units

School visit: 6 hours in person (optional)

Blended learning: online seminars, mentoring and coaching, self-study and optional in-person school-visit (location tbc).

None.

Apply here.

Free to all eligible participants

Scholarship funding available - click here for more information

If you are not eligible (for example if you work for an independent school) the programme cost is £800.