Researching Sustainable School Leadership:
The project is comparing approaches to the training, supply and retention of senior school leaders for primary and secondary schools – in particular headteachers – in the countries of the UK, and will offer a vision for where and how these approaches can be enhanced.
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Overview of the Project
Senior school leaders play an essential role in shaping educational experiences and outcomes for children, particularly in the most challenging communities. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, there were concerns that many existing leaders were leaving the profession early, while potential future leaders were often choosing not to apply for headship, due to the pressures and workloads involved. The pandemic has exacerbated these pressures, raising the risk of a headteacher succession crisis. Furthermore, there are challenges in terms of diversity, with certain groups of leaders facing additional barriers to promotion, while schools in the most challenging contexts often face increased recruitment challenges.
The project will research how England, Scotland and Northern Ireland recruit, train and retain school leaders, and investigate how well their approaches take account of individual, local and systemic needs, in particular in relation to the sustainability of leadership supply, its diversity, equity, quality and fitness for the future?
Sustainable School Leadership 