Our Final Report for the Sustainable School Leadership study, published this week, also includes a focus on Northern Ireland and the findings from our 3-year study.
We looked at two sides of sustainability:
i. The sustainability of leadership (i.e. supply and succession planning)
ii. Leadership for sustainability (i.e. meeting present needs without compromising future needs)
The research in NI included an analysis of workforce statistics, a survey of 240 leaders, and interviews with 37 leaders across two contrasting localities: Town-Rural and Coast. We visited everything from small primaries to large post-primaries and grammar schools, from Controlled, Maintained and Voluntary schools to Integrated and Irish Medium schools.
The headteacher age profile is ageing, with the average age of principals increasing from 49 in 2010 to 50 by 2024. The 50 to 54 age band has become the single largest group, with worryingly few younger leaders behind them.
43% of headteachers in NI said they are thriving, but nearly one in five described themselves as sinking, indicating a stark sustainability challenge.
Leadership careers can be hampered by restrictive promotion processes which limit opportunities to move between schools and sectors. Small pay differentials, relentless demands, a lack of structured professional development opportunities, and watching current principals struggle, can all make the step up to principalship unappealing for many. Headteacher recruitment and appointment processes sometimes lack balance and rigour.
Amongst those not yet in headship, aspiration for the role was lowest in NI at 24%.
One key finding is how embedded leaders are in their communities in NI, with a distinctive pastoral ethos. This creates both pressure and purpose.
Read the full report here
Read the NI National Technical Report here
Sustainable School Leadership 