We’d like to draw your attention to an upcoming event hosted by GTC Scotland focusing on the Standard for Middle Leadership. Please share this with colleagues who may be interested in attending.

On 20 November 2023, GTC Scotland will host its first annual event focused on engaging with the Professional Standard for Middle Leadership. 

The event is open to all registrants who are existing and aspiring middle leaders, and aims to stimulate professional thinking, discussion, and national networking.

We will be joined by guest speaker Kevin Brack, Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Programme Director: MEd Leadership and Learning at University of Edinburgh, who discuss themes such as middle leadership identity, the growing importance of middle leaders in a time of educational reform and the unique professional learning needs of middle leaders.

Kevin Brack is a former primary school Headteacher and in 2018 was appointed Attainment Advisor for Dundee with Education Scotland.

He has previously been involved in research into Financial Education in the USA and has presented his work on school improvement at conferences across the UK, in Denmark and Boston, MA. In 2016 Kevin was appointed to the First Minister’s Reading Challenge Advisory Group and he was shortlisted for the Outstanding Leadership Award at the Quality Improvement Awards in 2017. Kevin’s current teaching and research focuses on school leadership, headship and the professional learning of teachers and leaders.

Participants will be split into breakout rooms to stimulate professional thinking, discussion, and networking, based on what Kevin has discussed.

If you have any questions on the event, can you direct them towards Asif Chishti – Asif.Chishti@gtcs.org.uk

EiH: Leadership of and for Learning 2023 – 2024

 We are excited to share a new approach to Excellence in Headship, the national headteacher leadership professional learning programme. The revised model EiH Leadership of and for Learning has been informed directly by the needs of school leaders through our headteacher Listening Exercise.

 Why the new approach?

From our headteacher listening exercise, we know headteachers value time and space to engage in leadership professional learning. For the majority, in-person is preferred but, for accessibility, some still welcome an online option. As such, we are evolving Excellence in Headship to recognise this demand and streamline to 3 ‘core’ learning opportunities for headteachers in 2023/24.

What has changed?

• EiH is now a universal offer for all headteachers with the minimum experience criteria removed.
• If you’re new to EiH, you need to register via this MS Form
• There are now three sequential EIH core learn sessions (see below).
• Our new streamlined format will feature both in-person and online options.
• You will also have access to optional System learn sessions.

The aim is for as many headteachers as possible to engage in these three core learn sessions to provide supportive leadership professional learning for all of Scotland’s headteachers. Based on your feedback we will initially offer in-person sessions in Glasgow, with the intention to deliver the programme in a range of locations across Scotland.

1. EiH: Leadership of and for Learning

Leaders understand that people are the drivers and enactors of change for improvement. Professional learning and development is the means by which this is put into action. As a priority, leaders commit to and invest in their own professional learning and development, creating the conditions where professional learning can thrive – space, time, culture and trust. In this session we will explore this concept and consider how this thinking interacts with the current policy landscape influencing Scottish education

2. EiH: Leadership of and for Complex Change

This session enables you to develop your understanding of systems leadership in terms of managing complex change. You will explore some of the relevant literature and models surrounding the leadership and management of complex change. This is a valuable opportunity to think, share your experience and learn together with systems leaders from across Scotland.

3. EiH: Leadership of and for System

This session will provide an opportunity to explore how leaders build relational trust and networks across the system to ensure impact and the best outcomes for children and young people. You will take time with participants to take a deeper dive into the current policy landscape and introduce practical tools and approaches that can help you in your role to sense-make policy and develop an agile leadership approach to problem solving.

You can find all the programme information on our website Excellence in Headship (education.gov.scot)