A cohort of Friary school staff are working with colleagues from across the Greywood Multi-School Trust towards their National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership (NPQML).
The group of eight leaders received their virtual induction in July. Training begins in October and runs throughout the year.
NPQs are high-quality professional qualifications recognised by the DfE. They are designed to develop a range of desirable and effective leadership behaviours. The course is delivered by experienced, accredited facilitators from the Association of Central Teaching Schools.
Candidates are sponsored by Greywood MST, supported by an in-school mentor and receive time to attend the training.
The course has six areas of main focus: (i) Strategy and Improvement; (ii) Teaching and Curriculum Excellence; (iiI) Leading with Impact; (iv) Working in Partnership; (v) Managing Resources; (vi) Risks and Increasing Capability.
As part of the programme, candidates will design and lead an improvement project within their own team, department or school. These projects – aimed at improving pupil progress, attainment and the capability of their team – last at least two terms. Leaders’ evaluation of their improvement projects form a core part of their final assessment on the course.
Mark Drury, Assistant Headteacher, said: “NPQs are highly valued qualifications and this is a great opportunity to develop some great talent both in our own school and across the Trust. The course is nationally recognised and is about us getting the best out of our staff so they in turn can apply this to their work with Friary students. These sort of courses inevitably lead to some great staff moving on, but we have a culture of improvement and learning amongst our students and we cannot maintain this if we don’t replicate it with our staff”