These organisations shared the vision for a programme to improve the life chances of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds by raising their attainment through school leadership.

Since then, we have grown in terms of profile, size and impact:

• 2006 - The Future Leaders programme launches with a cohort of 20 in Greater London.

• 2007 - Having demonstrated early success, we gained early approval to roll-out the programme to another cohort of Future Leaders with 29 new aspiring headteachers in Greater London.

• 2008 - 52 Future Leaders are recruited and the programme expands to the North West in September 2008.

• 2009 - 57 Future Leaders are recruited for Cohort '09 and the programme expands to the West Midlands. The Future Leaders Charitable Trust is awarded a contract to recruit across a new national programme and to continue a full roll-out of the Future Leaders programme for Cohorts 2010-2012.  This clearly endorsed our ability to add value in a competitive and highly contested marketplace. 

• 2010 – 68 Future Leaders are recruited for Cohort ’10, as the Future Leaders programme expands into Yorkshire and the Humber, the Midlands (to include Leicester, Nottingham, and Derby) and the South Coast.

• 2011 - 66 Future Leaders are recruited for Cohort '11 across the regions.

• 2012 - 77 Future Leaders are recruited to make up Cohort '12, and the National College (since renamed the National College for Teaching & Leadership) licensed Future Leaders Charitable Trust to develop shorter, accredited programmes for senior leaders (Leading Impact - NPQSL) and those a year away from headship (NPQH).

• 2013 – For the first time, the Future Leaders programme expands into primary schools in Greater London and the North West, a move we believe is essential to closing the achievement gap.

In the future, we will be looking to bring more like-minded school leaders into a powerful network for change to ensure all children, regardless of background, realise their full potential.