The Benefits for You

Become a Senior Leader after 12 months and a headteacher after 4 years with Future Leaders support

We expect you to secure a senior leadership role in a challenging school to start directly after your residency year. We will provide support whilst you are looking for a job and will continue to support you once you’re in your new post - providing you with continued training and regular support from a dedicated Leadership Development Adviser (LDA).

Apprentice under a successful head in a challenging secondary school in year one of the programme

During the residency year you will benefit from mentoring from the residency head and an assigned in-school mentor. The residency head will meet you on a regular basis to provide support and challenge, as well as making explicit the thought processes behind their key actions and decisions.

Visit exemplary schools in the USA to share best practice

As a core element of the professional development, we take all participants to visit exemplary schools in the US where you will see first-hand what it takes to achieve high aspirations for students, and will leave feeling inspired and equipped with new ideas and practical tools to take back to your school in the UK.

Receive cutting edge training and bespoke career support

You will undertake 2 weeks residential training before starting at your residency school.  There will be further weekend residential training in each year of the programme and the opportunity to go to additional evening and full-day training events.

Have ongoing support from a dedicated Leadership Development Adviser

From the moment you commence the programme, you are assigned an external Leadership Development Adviser (LDA) who will support you, assess your progress, help identify your needs and set objectives and targets to improve your performance. They also provide you with career support.  LDAs are either current or former headteachers with years of experience running challenging secondary schools.  LDAs not only come into school to meet you, your headteacher and in school mentor, but also attend and help deliver training.

Earn your current salary up to a threshold of £50,000 in your first year

During your first year, you will be paid by the residency school based on your current salary from your existing employer. This will be rounded up to the nearest pay point on the relevant leadership scale for the area that you will work in. The salary will be based on the payscale for the year that you begin your residency. The salary cap in 2012 is £50,000.

Apply to NPQH within 3 years

It is expected that you will be accepted onto the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) programme within 3 years. NPQH is designed for people aspiring to be a headteacher within 12-18 months (with the full support of their headteacher or line manager) and who should be ready to take up a headship as soon as they graduate.