Is it only London-based?
Future Leaders now operates in London and Greater Manchester secondary schools. We hope to expand to other urban centres over the coming years. If you would like to find out about our expansion, please
register your contact details on the site to be kept in touch with
future programme developments.
Are you recruiting primary-trained
teachers?
Future Leaders is currently operating in secondary schools
only. However, we do welcome applications from primary-trained teachers
who may wish to move into secondary leadership. If you’re
interested in other primary leadership programmes, then our partners
NCSL and SSAT run a number of programmes that might be of interest.
Please see http://www.ncsl.org.uk/
or http://www.specialistschools.org.uk/
for more information.
Can you send me some
information on the programme?
All of the most up-to-date information on Future Leaders is located
within this website. Please see ‘The Programme’ page
for an overview of the programme and a link to our recruitment brochure.
Recruitment and school matching
Can I see the application
form before I fill it in?
Yes. A sample of the application form is available to view
in its entirety via the ‘Apply now’ page on our website.
How many places are
available?
We are looking to recruit, train and support up to 40 outstanding
individuals to join the programme in summer 2008 in Greater London, and up to 20 in Greater Manchester.
Will feedback be provided
for applicants who are not taken onto the programme?
Yes. We aim for our assessment process to be a developmental experience
for candidates. Candidates at all stages will receive written
feedback, compiled by the person that assessed you.
I’m deeply committed
to my current job. Why should I apply now?
Future Leaders may be the right programme to help you move rapidly
to senior leadership (e.g. deputy headteacher). You will make an
immediate and real contribution to the school in your first year,
and subsequently as you take on a new role in your second year.
We would encourage you to apply now to find out whether the programme
is appropriate for you.
If you are not successful in your application for the programme
this year you’ll still benefit from the feedback that we give
out as part of our assessment process. This will enable you to build
on your skills base and potentially apply again in future years
when it may be more suitable for you to come through the programme.
I haven’t got QTS. Can
I apply?
Future Leaders is a programme for current or former teachers to
move into senior leadership of challenging urban schools. We can
currently only accept applications from individuals with Qualified
Teacher Status.
However, if you were considering a career change into teaching then
we would certainly be an option for you once you had qualified.
To find out about the different routes available into teaching for
career changers, please visit the Training and Development Agency's
website: http://www.tda.gov.uk/
I am an Assistant
Head/NQT/AST. Can I apply?
Yes. We welcome applications from all individuals with QTS and a
passion for making a difference to all children, regardless of background.
We are looking for potential to move into senior leadership, above
all else.
I'm doing/have done
NPQH. Can I apply?
Yes. Please see the above!
I was formerly a
Deputy Head/Headteacher. Can I apply?
We are an accelerated leadership development programme to widen
the pool of senior leaders for challenging urban schools. We cannot
take applications from current or previous deputy heads or headteachers.
Do you have an upper
or lower age limit?
No. We welcome applicants of all ages. Our only eligibility criteria
are the right to work in the UK, QTS and no CRB problems. Our suitability
criteria are listed on our website under ‘Who we want’.
When will my references
be taken during the selection process?
References may be taken after the half-day assessment stage.
If I am rejected,
can I reapply?
Yes. We welcome applications from those candidates that have taken
on board the feedback provided from their application and have made
subsequent efforts to advance their skillsets. If you are rejected
from the programme, you may only reapply for the following year’s
intake. A good guideline is for applicants to wait 12 months from
the date of their last application to reapply.
Can I stay at my
current school whilst on the programme?
This is a possibility, although we would tend to encourage you to learn at another school. If your school is part of the Future Leaders
network of residency training schools, there could be the opportunity
to remain within that school whilst on the programme. We match candidates
to schools on a developmental needs basis - both for the candidate
and for the school. We have found that candidates who join the programme
gain broader and more diverse sets of experiences that further them
in their leadership development simply by training in a different
school environment.
Can I be seconded
from my current job?
If your current school is able to bring you back in as a senior
leader after 12 months of intensive training and development, you
could be seconded onto the programme by your current school. You
should discuss the possibility of this with your current Headteacher.
Can I choose my school?
Future Leaders matches candidates to visit schools on a geography-based
and developmental needs-based system. Candidates who pass through
to this stage will have up to 3 opportunities to visit different
residency schools, where they will meet the pupils and the headteacher.
If there is a mutual fit on both sides, then we will place the candidate
in that school for their residency year.
Foundations and Residency Training
When and where does
the training take place?
Foundations training dates for 2008 are as follows:
• Saturday 14th June – London and Manchester
• Weekend 1: 20th-22th June – NCSL, Nottingham
• Weekend 2: 11th-13th July – NCSL, Nottingham
• Training Weeks: 11th-22nd August – NCSL, Nottingham
• Start of residency – September (date determined by your school)
The training throughout the residency year will be over 5 weekends
in the year, with evenings where necessary. We are aware that you
will have a heavy workload and do not wish to overburden you.
During the residency
year, will participants also be teaching?
Yes. We believe that being a good teacher is critical to gaining
respect which will be essential in this programme. Therefore participants
will be expected to teach during their residency year, and should
expect a reduced teaching load in line with that of other senior
leaders in the school. This is typically 25-40% of a full teaching
timetable.
Will the participant
be supernumerary or actually filling a vacancy?
The participant will be supernumerary, but will be playing a very
real role in the school. They will be a member of the Senior Leadership
Team, conducting whole-school projects and taking on extra responsibilities
that will be agreed by the Headteacher.
What criteria are used for judging whether
an urban complex school is successful, and hence whether it is suitable
to residency?
Criteria that have been used to make this judgement are:
• Strong ethos of high expectations – everyone at the
school has a total commitment that the children can succeed, regardless
of circumstance
• A minimum of 20% of students entitled to free school meals
• A headteacher and staff who have the capacity to provide
a suitable training environment in which the participant can learn
and grow.
What benefits will
the residency school get?
In addition to the training, skills and experiences the Future Leader
will bring to the school, our participants will be asked to complete
two whole-school projects that will benefit the school community.
A member of the school’s senior leadership team will also
have the opportunity to visit exemplary schools abroad to see and
share best practice, with their Future Leader.
Will I have to pay
for my training?
No! In fact, we actually ensure that you are paid at your current
salary whilst you are in your first year of training.
What is the salary
during the residency year?
Participants will be paid a salary by the residency school based on their current salary (on leaving their school) increased by 2.5%, and rounded up to the nearest teaching pay point on the relevant leadership scale for the area that they work in. The salary cap for
those in the 2008 cohort is £50,000.
Who pays participants’
salaries for the residency year?
The residency school will pay a proportion of the participant’s
salary. The remainder, including oncosts, is made up by Future Leaders.
Beyond training
What will I be doing
after my training?
We will support you in your new post as a senior leader in a challenging
urban school. We’ll provide you with continued training from
the education and business sectors, and regular support from a dedicated
coach.
Once participants have been appointed as a senior leader (e.g. deputy
headteacher), we anticipate you will be keen to progress to headship.
We anticipate that you will be appointed to a headship within four
years of joining the programme.
We will also ask you to support the programme by supporting other
Future Leaders, telling us about candidates you think have potential
to be Future Leaders, and assisting in the selection process. We
expect you to share good practice with projects and initiatives
that you have developed.
What is the salary
in the 2nd year?
This will be the advertised salary for the senior leadership post
that you apply for.
What kind of support
is provided after the residency year?
The purpose of the first two years of training is to enable the
participants to create for and among themselves a network of support.
Participants will be placed in a school environment that will seek
to support them. Future Leaders is also working to provide tailored
support through our partner organisations to address specific developmental
and individual needs on an as-needed basis. Participants will be
consulted and involved in the development of this support to ensure
that it is tailor-made to their needs.
Can I apply for a
job at the school where I did my residency?
We will support you in applying for your next role to any school
that meets our criteria, including the school where you
completed your residency.
What happens if I
am unsuccessful in gaining a role on the senior leadership team
at a challenging urban school?
We expect most participants will move to roles as deputy or assistant
headteacher in their second year of the programme, within the UK.
If you do not gain a role in an approved urban school, you may be
liable for a proportion of the training costs. This will be fully
explained to you before you join the programme.
What training happens
in the 3rd and 4th years of the programme?
There will be limited training programmes during the 3rd and
4th years of the programme. However, there will be continued support
from the leadership coaches and mutual support from other Future
Leaders on the programme.
What is the Future
Leaders network?
Participants who join this programme become part of a Future Leaders
network of peers, all committed to making a difference in challenging
urban schools, shaping the future leaders of this country and giving
back to the programme in order to support our shared mission of
reaching every child.
Expectations
How many years’
commitment is the programme?
The programme is a four year commitment, and beyond.
The first year is the residency year, with help from Future Leaders
towards securing a senior leadership team role in the second year.
The second year will be in the initial senior leadership role, still
receiving training. The third and fourth years are in an SLT position
in the placement school.
What does the "payback"
entail?
The training that we offer (residentials, trips abroad, bespoke
coaching and mentoring, support in finding your first senior leadership
posting, socials etc etc) is substantial and very expensive. We
are a charity, and would like the programme to continue year after
year to bring about educational change, and want our participants
to feel commited to this mission and to sustaining future cohorts
of Future Leaders. Hence, we ask that after you have completed your residency year, you contribute back into the programme via consultancy work allocated to you by the Future Leaders programme. This work will also aid your own professional development and help to strengthen the network. See the terms & conditions page for further details of this "payback".
