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Leadership Partner School programme

About the Leadership Partner School programme

The Leadership Partner School programme is a strategic initiative jointly developed by the National College for School Leadership and the Youth Sport Trust (YST) in response to current leadership and succession planning opportunities and challenges.

Schools, with any specialism, that meet the 'high-performing specialist school' (HPSS) criteria can become a Leadership Partner School and focus their second specialism on leadership.

Leadership Partner Schools will become national hubs for the development of outstanding leadership development and succession planning strategies.

Benefits of the programme

Leadership Partner Schools are seen as having an important role to play in the national succession planning strategy, led by NCSL, which involves almost all Local Authorities in the country.

Leadership Partner Schools will be at the forefront of developments to deliver a new generation of world-class school leaders and reduce the gap in educational achievement through the creation of partnerships between HPSS schools, other specialist schools and primary networks. These partnerships will focus on raising pupil achievement via effective leadership development and succession planning strategies.

Leadership Partner Schools will have support from NCSL's succession planning team and from an experienced Consultant Headteacher who will steer the programme. The YST and NCSL will also assist you in brokering local and regional partnerships where these are not already in place.

As well as developing leaders in the school workforce this programme also provides schools with the opportunity to develop leadership capabilities and competences with pupils.

Eligibility for the programme

The Leadership Partner School programme is available to all schools, with any specialism, that meet the HPSS criteria. There are currently 14 schools following this option with NCSL looking to expand this programme so that there will be at least one Leadership Partner School in each Local Authority.

The programme has also been carefully positioned alongside NCSL's National Leaders of Education (NLEs) / National Support Schools (NSS) initiative so that there is a distinct and separate focus. However, NCSL recognises that many Leadership Partner Schools could also be part of the NLE/NSS programme.

Find out more

To find out more about Leadership Partner Schools, visit www.youthsporttrust.org.uk/lps.

You can also contact John O'Callaghan, Associate Director, at the Youth Sport Trust at john.ocallaghan@tesco.net, or by telephoning 07834 764051.

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