Find out more about the regional events on which you can spend your flexible grant.
NCSL has awarded contracts to three leadership development providers for the Early Headship Provision (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 flexible grant on your behalf.
NCSL recognises that you may wish to take advantage of leadership development opportunities offered by other training providers, as well as your chosen NCSL regional provider, and you can use your flexible grant to access these opportunities.
Our designated EHP providers offer a number of high quality leadership development activities. You can book a place on these activities by selecting them in the Learning Gateway, or by contacting the provider directly by telephone or email. The cost of the activity will be deducted from your flexible grant balance.
Should you wish to use your grant to book onto a development opportunity offered by other training organisations (third party training), you need to contact the provider to book this on your behalf. This is because only the provider can take the action to deduct the cost of the activity from your grant.
EHP is the College's contribution to your leadership learning in early headship and the EHP grant is drawn from public funds. Headteachers, EHP providers and NCSL all have responsibility to ensure that grants are spent appropriately and on activities that improve your leadership effectiveness. Before booking an activity using your flexible grant, you should consider the questions below, as the provider may ask you about your choice as part of their accountability.
| Principles | Examples |
|---|---|
| Is the activity for you, the headteacher? | You will attend the activity, not someone on your behalf. If you choose to take part in a learning activity as part of a network of headteachers, the flexible grant will only fund your part of the contribution |
| Does it meet an identified need? | Have you undertaken a learning review with a key professional such as a mentor or coach, in order to provide evidence of the learning need? |
| How might it help you to deal with issues that are unique to the context of your school? | For example – urban environment, challenging school, special school, high mobility of staff, coasting school. |
| How will the activity contribute to your effectiveness as a leader? | It will extend your learning about leadership eg leading difficult conversations, developing a culture of enquiry, modelling behaviours you wish to see in others, leading effective meetings, etc |
| What will not be funded | Examples |
|---|---|
| Services to the school | Data analysis reports, extended suppliers, IT services, health and safety review, facilities |
| Travel and accommodation | Unless the event is over a number of days and the cost for accommodation is already included in the total cost of the course |
| Professional supply cover | Teaching supply |
| Academic qualifications | BAs, MBAs |
| Other colleagues' development | Senior leadership team members, governors, teachers, school business managers |
| Resources | CDs, books etc |
| Head for the Future | The purpose of EHP is to support less experienced headteachers in their development for the first 3 years of their headship careers. The provision will expire after this time. Head for the Future is a programme for those with 4 or more years of headship and is aimed at more experienced heads |
NCSL has chosen regional providers that we are confident can provide the highest standard and quality of provision. As partnership organisations, we have agreed a number of quality standards to ensure that a high level of service is maintained. NCSL and our regional providers cannot become involved in any quality issues relating to training providers not contracted to NCSL.
NCSL and our regional providers cannot become involved in any issues relating the quality or appropriateness of the learning activities you have given instructions to enrol you on. You should therefore ensure that you are completely satisfied that the learning activity is appropriate prior to requesting it is booked.
When it comes to paying for a learning activity, NCSL's Learning Gateway and your regional EHP provider are set up to do all the hard work for you.
Should the cost of your selected learning activity exceed the balance you have remaining in your flexible grant, you will be invoiced separately for the difference.
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