Who is eligible for the early headship provision?
Headteachers and acting headteachers within their first three years of headship in the maintained education sector in England. These include:
I am an acting head. Do I qualify for the provision?
Yes, providing that you are acting as a head for a minimum period of one term. More information is available in the
acting head policy.
I am an acting head. What happens to my grant if I return to my substantive post?
Any remaining entitlement is frozen until you return to another acting headship position or gain a substantive headship. The grant will then be made available for you to use until the remainder of the three years has elapsed.
What does the provision offer?
Early Headship Provision (EHP) participants have:
Is there a time limit?
Once registered you have three years from the day you start your headship to access New Visions and spend the flexible grant.
I have qualified for EHP and I would like to register for New Visions programme, how do I enrol?
This is very simple. Once you have applied and been accepted for EHP, you can register for New Visions through the Learning Gateway. Simply log on to your individual account and click on 'my learning'. Further information on how to enrol through this system will be included in your participant welcome pack.
If I was a former HIP participant, have my details and grant been moved over to the Early Headship Provision?
Yes, all previous HIP participants' funds have now been transferred over to the more flexible Early Headship Provision. The balance you had remaining is all now counted as flexible spend so it can be used with the EHP providers or any other training provider.
How do I identify my leadership learning needs?
You may use the provision to identify your learning needs in the context of your school through participating in a 'learning review'. Details of this are available through the Learning Gateway system and also from the regional providers.
How do I identify where I can book the best training to suit my leadership learning needs?
Information on national and local leadership learning opportunities is available through a number of sources. Your learning review will identify the type and nature of learning activities you need to engage in, but you may choose the training organisation who will provide this for you.
Your regional EHP provider will certainly be able to assist you in sourcing specific leadership learning activities. You may also hear about something your local authority has organised, or have discovered a course or activity through the internet that would exactly meet your needs. NCSL have also agreed that you may spend your grant on a number of NCSL activities such as our annual conference, the Leadership Learning network or SLICT.
Will the money be sent to the school?
The grant is held in a virtual account on the NCSL's Learning Gateway online system, for which you are provided with a password and username. The Learning Gateway is an online learning portal that is available through the internet. You will be able to check the balance of your grant and on any transactions that you have made or authorised. No money is sent to your school, apart from the small schools grant if you qualify for this.
(82kb, 2 pages)Your funding can only be accessed by you and, on your authorisation, your regional provider.
How can I find out how much money I have left in my flexible grant?
Details of your payments and a history of your learning are recorded for your information and reflection on the NCSL's Learning Gateway.
What exactly can I spend the flexible element of my grant on?
You may spend it on developing your leadership skills and learning, but how exactly it is spent depends upon your own needs in the context of your environment. You may require a formal training course, or you may identify that you need to be in touch with a mentor, coach or supporting network. Equally, you may identify a local or national seminar that is of particular use to you, or a particular conference that would extend your leadership learning.
The EHP grant is drawn from public funds. Headteachers, EHP regional providers and NCSL all have responsibility to ensure that grants are spent appropriately and on the activities for which the provision was designed. Before booking an activity using your flexible grant, you should read the page on how to spend your flexible grant, which provides advice on what questions the regional provider may ask you about your choice as part of their accountability.
Who can I spend my flexible grant with?
You may spend your flexible grant with any number of training and leadership development providers. These may include:
After a rigorous selection process, NCSL awarded contracts to three leadership development providers for EHP. These providers deliver New Visions, (NCSL's programme for new heads) and are there to support you in sourcing or designing leadership learning activities to meet your identified needs. They also offer leadership development opportunities specifically designed for new or acting headteachers and manage the EHP flexible grant on your behalf.
How do I book myself onto a learning activity and what is the mechanism for payment?
There are a number of ways you may book yourself onto an activity
How do I complain about the service I have received from NCSL or its regional provider?
Please view our complaints procedure.
How do I appeal against a cancellation fee?
Please see our appeals policy (69kb, 1 page)
How do I complain about the service I have received from a training provider (neither NCSL or regional provider) I have used or tried to use my grant with?
NCSL and our regional providers cannot become involved in any quality issues relating to training providers not contracted to NCSL. Should any issues arise with regards to a third party organisation (that is, not NCSL or its regional provider), you will need to address the issue directly with that organisation.
find us | press office | vacancies | learning and conference centre | about this site | legal | site map
© National College for School Leadership
