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Senior Leadership Programme

United Learning's Senior Leadership Programme (SLP) develops and accelerates talented leaders across the country. It is a comprehensive course for middle leaders aspiring to senior leadership or newly appointed senior leaders working in any UK school.  

Combining leadership expertise, theory and practice, webinars are immersed in an educational context and facilitated by United Learning leaders.   

Register your interest

Programme Overview

Learning objectives
How it’s delivered
Who it's for
Time commitment
Cost
How to apply

Learning objectives

By the end of the programme, learners will be expected to do the following:

  • Identify the role and responsibilities of a senior leader in whole school leadership and in securing consistently positive student outcomes
  • Understand how to lead school improvement through high leverage practices
  • Know how to employ a strategic approach to lead change
  • Establish effective management practices to strategically and inclusively lead your team
  • Enhance personal effectiveness, confidence, and resilience in preparation for senior leadership

How it’s delivered

15 sessions are delivered online from November to July.

Each session is facilitated by expert school leaders who showcase best practice, explore evidence-based research and offer practical solutions for leading school improvement.

We understand the varying commitments of school leaders and support flexible working. That’s why we’ve designed our programme to be:  

  • Fully online
  • Term time only
  • Scheduled in advance
  • Easy to catch up on missed webinars
  • Supportive through regular communications

After each webinar, participants will complete a learning log to help them apply their learning to their role and have quality conversations about their development with their line manager.

Who it's for

Participants must be working in a UK school (can be local authority, academy or independent school) and be either:

  • An aspiring senior leader
  • A newly appointed senior leader

Time commitment

Participants must complete 15 x 1 hour online sessions. 

We estimate that participants will take an additional 20 minutes per session to complete a learning log.

Cost

This course is funded for United Learning schools and available to schools external to United Learning at a cost.

How to apply

The Senior Leadership Programme runs from November to July every year. It is available to schools external to United Learning at a cost.

If you're a Headteacher/school leader interested in enrolling your staff or a current or aspiring senior leader, please register your interest and a member of the programmes team will be in touch with further details.

For queries, contact leadership@unitedlearning.org.uk

Programme sessions

Letting Go of Responsibility, Not Accountability

Top Tips for Supporting the Head

Being an Authentic Leader

The Building Blocks of Behaviour

Raising Standards

Part 1: Let’s Start at the Beginning 

Raising Standards

Part 2: Getting Great Outcomes

How to Have Impact in Your Role

Preparing for Conversations with Parents

Linking Curriculum to Teaching & Learning Implementation

Motivating Others with High Impact, Low Effort

Line Managing The Unfamiliar

Create a Feedback Culture

Leading In Isolation: Do The Right Thing

What key factors make a great team?

Final presentation / celebration event

Information for applicants

This valuable and flexible course is delivered from November to July. You will spend time completing 17 online sessions and writing a learning log to submit at the end of the programme and use as a tool to discuss your learning with your line manager or mentor.  

Webinars are delivered live after school hours to support teaching commitments and encourage professional networking opportunities. If you can’t make a session, you can watch it as a recording to help you manage your time and workload. You will benefit from additional support from your line manager or mentor, should you wish to provide their contact details, through regular updates and guidance we provide them. You will also have support from the programme coordinator throughout.    

To complete the course, you must watch all of the webinars and submit a series of learning logs. After successful completion of the programme, you will receive a digital certificate to recognise your professional development commitment.  

You’ll also gain access to a network of leadership expertise within United Learning; this includes continued access to recordings and resources, the opportunity to create learning sets with other leaders and a termly bulletin to keep up to date with the latest information about United Learning's leadership.  

Mike Collingwood, 2023 cohort

This has been one of the most effective leadership courses I’ve attended in my career. I now feel ready to take the next step into a leadership role.

Mike Collingwood, 2023 cohort
Sharon Blinston, 2023 cohort

I’ve learned how to be recognised as a senior leader and the different ways to effectively motivate and inspire others. The programme also helped me consider my role as a future leader and what kind of leader I would like to be.

Sharon Blinston, 2023 cohort
Register your interest

Contact details

If you have any queries, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help.

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