Aspiring Leaders

Teacher leaders are passionate about learning and teaching. They are ambitious for the success of children and young people and in their pursuit and delivery of diverse and creative pedagogy.

Through informed and innovative practice, close scrutiny of pupils’ learning needs and high expectations teacher leaders play a fundamental role in improving outcomes for children and young people. Teacher leaders are effective communicators who collaborate with colleagues, demonstrate integrity and have a positive impact on their school community. They are able to develop and sustain high quality relationships with children and young people, parents and carers, colleagues and external partners. They self-evaluate regularly and instinctively, and they demonstrate accomplished and developing skills in critical reflection, inquiry, the use of research, pedagogy, and leadership.

Leadership Activities:

  • Leading in a working or task group
  • Leading an aspect of planning learning which is inter-disciplinary or cross-sector
  • Assessment and moderation
  • Cluster leadership opportunities
  • Self-evaluation and critical reflection process
  • Experiential, action or enquiry based learning
  • Professional dialogue with colleagues, other professionals, parents and learners
  • Learning about aspects of the curriculum or pedagogical practice
  • Practitioner enquiry/action research
  • Critical analysis of reading, learning and impact on professional practice
  • Peer support – coaching and mentoring others (i.e. Probationers)
  • Secondments, acting posts and placements

    

         

         

          

NEW Aspiring to Middle Leadership 

Education Scotland Programme facilitated by SBC  

The AML programme is accessed online with additional facilitated sessions with SBC  

Leading their own learning, participants will: 

  • increase their knowledge of recent and emerging research around the roles of middle leadership 
  • enquire into their own strengths and areas for development as an aspiring or new middle leader 
  • increase their knowledge and understanding of the roles of middle leadership and the skills and abilities required to carry out key aspects of these roles 
  • increase their knowledge and understanding of an aspect of wellbeing, inclusion, equity or equalities, with a view to leading a change in this area. 

The programme starts with four short introductory activities including a self-evaluation activity (‘self-evaluation wheel’) which you can complete through your Reflective Journal. This will act as both a planning tool and a record, with spaces for reflections on your learning. Your Reflective Journal is just for you. If you wish to receive a certificate when you complete the programme, you will need to submit a Learning Summary. 

Programme Induction – Friday 25th September – Inspire Learning, Tweedbank 

Touchpoint Session – Friday 6th November – Inclusion, Wellbeing & Equalities – Doug Crabbe, Targeted Pupil Support Team 

Touchpoint Session – Friday 26th February – Middle Leadership in SBC – How to put your learning into practice  

Applying Your Learning – individual practice in school/setting  

Sharing Event – May 2027 

The introductory session will take you through the programme content, share the research that underpins the programme, and support you to start the process of planning your learning pathway, using the self-evaluation wheel to enquire into and identify your areas of strength and interest and areas for development. We will also explore how we will work as an SBC cohort and access SBC specific leadership support. 

You will then undertake individual, self-directed learning, using online self-directed Professional Learning Activities (PLAs), based on your completed self-evaluation wheel. 

A set of eight PLAs, each exploring one of the Roles of Middle Leadership identified in the research, is available. You should select two as a minimum. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours on each PLA. 

You should then select at least two PLAs from a list based on the Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities themes. You should base your selections on areas of interest, identified learning needs, school or setting improvement plans or an area you are leading on or are likely to lead on in the future. You might also consider any recent professional dialogue with your school leadership or manager, e.g., as part of your Professional Review and Development (PRD), and /or your professional standards, competences or code, e.g., the General Teaching Council (Scotland) (GTCS) Standard for Middle Leadership or the CLD Competent Practitioner Framework. 

Remember the importance of applying and integrating what you have learned online into your practice, or the practice of your wider setting. This is why we suggest 8-12 months for programme completion. This timeframe takes in completion of a minimum of four PLAs, time to apply your learning, and to identify any actual or potential impact on you, your learners or your colleagues.