For the 2010 cohort, the Future Leaders residency training programme will operate inLondon, the North West (Greater Manchester & Merseyside), the West Midlands (specifically in the Black Country, Birmingham, Coventry and Telford)
Yorkshire and the Humber (specifically in Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, Kingston upon Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, Rotherham, Sheffield and Wakefield), Bristol and surrounding areas of deprivation (including Gloucester and Swindon) as well as the South Coast (from East Sussex to Poole). We hope to expand to other urban centres over the coming years. If you would like to find out about our expansion, please register your contact details on the site to be kept in touch with future programme developments.
Are you recruiting primary-trained teachers?
Future Leaders is currently operating in urban secondary schools only. However, we do welcome applications from primary-trained teachers who may wish to move into secondary leadership. If you’re interested in other primary leadership programmes, please see Tomorrows Heads which is part of Accelerate to Headship www.nationalcollege.org.uk/ath Can you send me some information on the programme?
All of the most up-to-date information on Future Leaders is located within this website.
Recruitment and school matching
How many places are available?
We are looking to recruit, train and support up to 75 outstanding individuals to join the programme in summer 2010. The cohort will be made up of 30 places in London, 12-18 in the North West, 12-18 in the West Midlands and 12-18 in Yorkshire and the Humber, 6-12 in Bristol (including Gloucester and Swindon) and 6-12 in the South Coast.
I am interested in applying, but do not live in one of the six available regions. What can I do?
You will have to complete your residency in one of the 6 regions we operate in, but you can select the one that is most convenient region for you. You are then welcome to apply for your permanent position (for the second year of the programme) in any urban area in England, provided the school meets the criteria set out by Future Leaders.
I’m deeply committed to my current job. Why should I apply now?
Future Leaders may be the right programme to help you move rapidly to senior leadership. You will make an immediate and real contribution to the school in your first year, and subsequently as you take on a new role in your second year. We would encourage you to apply now to find out whether the programme is appropriate for you.
If you are not successful in your application for the programme this year you’ll still benefit from the feedback that we give out as part of our assessment process. This will enable you to build on your skills base and potentially apply again in future years when it may be more suitable for you to come through the programme.
I haven’t got QTS. Can I apply?
Future Leaders is a programme for current or former teachers to move into senior leadership of challenging urban schools. We can currently only accept applications from individuals with Qualified Teacher Status.
However, if you were considering a career change into teaching then we would certainly be an option for you once you had qualified. To find out about the different routes available into teaching for career changers, please visit the Training and Development Agency's website: http://www.tda.gov.uk/
Why do you require ‘two year’s management experience’?
Future Leaders is a challenging programme and it is beneficial to your accelerated progression to headship to have had meaningful experience of managing and developing people. We accept applications from people who have gained this experience whilst teaching, or in another career. If you are unsure of your eligibility for the programme, please contact the recruitment team.
I am an Assistant Head/NQT/AST. Can I apply?
Yes provided you fulfil our criteria. We welcome applications from all individuals with QTS and a passion for making a difference to all children, regardless of background. We are looking for potential to move into senior leadership, above all else.
I'm doing/have done NPQH. Can I apply?
No. If you have completed the NPQH or are part way through you will not be able to apply for Future Leaders. If you have done the old NPQH and still feel that you are quite a way from Headship, please contact the recruitment team to discuss possible options further.
I was formerly a Deputy Head/Headteacher. Can I apply?
We are an accelerated leadership development programme to widen the pool of senior leaders for challenging urban schools. We cannot take applications from current or previous deputy heads or headteachers of secondary state schools. However, if you were a Deputy or Headteacher in a primary school, Special school, Independent school or live in a country other than the UK and are interested in the programme you are able to apply if you have QTS and the right to work in the UK.
I am on another National College programme - can I apply to Future Leaders?
If you are currently on or have completed Learning from the Middle and are interested in headship, this could be the right programme for you. We will consider applications from other National College programmes where applicants feel they need additional, intensive continuing professional development in preparation for headship. Criteria for applying is still to be confirmed, so please continue to consult the website for the most up to date information.
Do you have an upper or lower age limit?
No. We welcome applicants of all ages.
When will my references be taken during the selection process?
We will ask for details of referrers at the first stage and we will only contact them if you are successful at this stage.
Does my headteacher have to recommend me for this programme? We encourage you to inform your Head as soon as possible that you are applying for the programme to gain their support, however your Head does not need to formally recommend you in order for your application to be successful.
Can I stay at my current school whilst on the programme?
This is a possibility, although we would encourage you to learn at another school. If your school is part of the Future Leaders network of residency training schools, there could be the opportunity to remain within that school whilst on the programme. We match candidates to schools on a developmental needs basis - both for the candidates and for the school. We have found that by training in a different school environment, Future Leaders participants gain broader and more diverse sets of experiences that further them in their leadership development. Please note that if you join the programme whilst staying at your current school, some of the listed Terms and Conditions will not apply.
Can I be seconded from my current job?
If your current school is able to bring you back in as a senior leader after 12 months of intensive training and development, you could be seconded onto the programme by your current school. You should discuss the possibility of this with your current Headteacher.
Can I choose my residency school?
Future Leaders matches candidates to schools on a geography-based and developmental needs-based system. Both candidates and schools are asked to give their preferences, but the final decision rests with Future Leaders.
Foundations and Residency Training
When and where does the training take place?
As part of your application to Future Leaders, you must agree to attend all of the following dates for Foundations.
Foundations training dates for 2010 are as follows:
• Induction day:
Saturday 12th June, National College Nottingham
• Weekend 1: 25th-27th June – National College, Nottingham
• Weekend 2: 9th-11th July – National College, Nottingham
• Training Weeks: Monday 9th August- Friday 20th August – National College, Nottingham (excludes weekends)
• Start of residency – September 2010 (date determined by your school)
The training throughout the residency year will be some weekends in the yearand evenings where necessary. The weekend training is mandatory as we are preparing you for success in urban senior leadership and you are expected to attend a high proportion of Thursday training sessions.
I have a holiday already booked in August. Do I need to attend all of the summer training?
Future Leaders' Foundations training is mandatory - it is an essential part of your entry onto the programme. You will be asked to confirm your ability to attend training as part of the recruitment process.
During the residency year, will participants also be teaching?
Yes. We believe that being a good teacher is critical to gaining respect and credibility which will be essential in this programme. Therefore participants will be expected to teach during their residency year, and should expect a reduced teaching load in line with that of other senior leaders in the school. This is typically 25-40% of a full teaching timetable.
What criteria are used to select residency schools?
Criteria that have been used to make this judgement are:
• Be a maintained secondary school situated in Future Leaders operational regions (preferably with more than 15% of your pupils eligible for FSM)
• Be achieving year-on-year improvements in outcomes for children with an ethos of high expectations
• Be committed to providing a suitable training environment for the Future Leaders and continuing professional development for all staff
What benefits will the residency school get?
In addition to the training, skills and experiences the Future Leader will bring to the school, our participants will be asked to complete two whole-school projects that will benefit the school community. A member of the school’s senior leadership team will also have the opportunity to visit exemplary schools abroad to see and share best practice, with their Future Leader.
Will I have to pay for my training?
No! In fact, we actually ensure that you are paid at your current salary whilst you are in your first year of training.
If I am not currently teaching do I get paid during foundation training in August?
No we recommend that you take summer foundation training as holiday and resign from your job at the end of August in order to avoid not having a month of unpaid salary. Your school salary starts from September.
What is the salary during the residency year?
Participants joining the 2010 cohort will be paid by the residency school based on their existing salary from their current employer with an inflationary increase of 2.3%, and rounded up to the nearest pay point on the relevant leadership scale for the area that they will work in. The salary will be based on the payscale for the year that participants begin their residency. The salary cap for those in the 2009 and 2010 cohorts is £50,000.
Who pays participants’ salaries for the residency year?
The residency school will pay the salary amount (including oncosts) to the participant. Future Leaders may pay a proportion of this salary to the residency school.
Beyond training
What will I do after my Residency Year?
We expect you to secure a Senior Leadership Team role in a challenging urban school to start directly after your Residency Year. We will support you in your new post, providing you with continued training, and regular support from a dedicated leadership development adviser (coach).
It is expected that participants will be accepted onto the NPQH programme within three years.NPQH is designed for people aspiring to be a headteacher within 12-18 months (with the full support of their headteacher or line manager) and who should be ready to take up a headship as soon as they graduate from the programme.
We also expect you to be an active member of our network, for example by supporting other Future Leaders and nominating and selecting potential Future Leaders. . We ask you to share good practice with projects and initiatives that you have developed. Many of these activities can be counted as “payback” tasks. See the terms & conditions page for further details of the "payback" scheme.
What is the salary in the 2nd year and thereafter?
This will be the advertised salary for the senior leadership post that you apply for. The Future Leaders Organisation does not contribute in any way towards your salary in the 2nd year nor in the years thereafter.
What kind of support is provided after the residency year?
The Future Leaders Organisation provides training and coaching, as well as individual support to address specific developmental needs. Participants also actively participate in a network to support each other. . They will be placed in a school environment that will also seek to support them. .
Can I apply for a job at the school where I completed my residency?
We will support you in applying for your next role to any school that meets our criteria, including the school where you completed your residency.
Will I have to stay in the city region where I train?
Whilst the majority of participants remain in our training regions beyond the residency year, we are also able to support you if you secure a senior leadership position in a challenging school in another urban area. (Note that if you do choose this option, you may miss out on some of the benefits of being part of the local network and we may reduce or withdraw some personalised elements of the programme such as coaching. It will also be your responsibility to travel to mandatory training in one our training regions as necessary).
What happens if I am unsuccessful in gaining a role on the senior leadership team at a challenging urban school?
We expect that participants will secure roles as deputy or assistant headteachers in challenging urban schools within England in and beyond their second year of the programme. If you do not gain a role in a challenging urban school (that meets our criteria), within a specific timeframe, , you may be exited from the programme and liable for a proportion of the training costs. This will be fully explained to you before you join the programme. It is participants’ responsibility to secure a job in the second year, and thereafter, and Future Leaders cannot guarantee participants a senior leadership role past the residency year. Future Leaders will advise individuals whom it does not feel will achieve a senior leadership role in the second year and work with them to suggest alternatives e.g. middle management roles, consultancy.
What training happens beyond the Residency Year?
There will be training and coaching provision during the 2nd and 3rd years on the programme as well as mutual support from other Future Leaders on the programme and the organisation. Training and coaching will be focused on helping participants work towards securing headships.
What is the Future Leaders network?
Participants who join this programme become part of a Future Leaders network of peers, all committed to making a difference in challenging urban schools, shaping the future leaders of this country and giving back to the programme in order to support our shared mission of reaching every child. Participants can share information and network with other participants through Future Leaders’ online network site throughout their leadership journey. Participants who successfully complete their residency year can join the Association of Future Leaders, an alumni organisation.
Expectations
What does the "payback" scheme entail?
The training that we offer (e.g. residential training, overseas study trips, bespoke coaching, career support, networking events) is substantial and very expensive. We are a charity, and would like the programme to continue year after year to bring about educational change, and want our participants to feel committed to this mission and to sustaining future cohorts of Future Leaders. Hence, we ask that after you have completed your residency year, you contribute to the programme via consultancy work allocated to you by the Future Leaders programme. This work will also aid your own professional development and help to strengthen the network. See the terms & conditions page for further details of this "payback" scheme.
Schools Information
1. Appoint a Future Leader to fill a vacancy in your senior leadership team
Our Future Leaders receive highly specialised training and coaching during their residency year, designed to fully prepare them to become a senior leader of a challenging urban school. They are equipped with the strategies, skills and vision necessary to making a lasting impact in your school.
The 2009 cohort of participants will be looking to secure full time senior leadership positions to commence in September 2010 (or April 2010 if agreed prior with the residency school). In most cases, these participants will be looking to secure Deputy Head level positions, although some may be looking for Assistant Head roles.
These positions must be in urban schools (ideally with more than 15% of pupils eligible for Free School Meals) and preferably within an area with clear succession planning needs. Ideally, the schools should be working collaboratively - for example, as part of networks or federations. It is essential that the school has strong talent management capabilities to further the development of our participants.
Our expectation is that the Future Leaders will be ready for their first headship after four years of joining the programme, making this an ideal opportunity for schools looking to develop a head for the near future.
If you are interested in recruiting a Future Leader to join your senior leadership team, from the 2009 cohort or earlier cohorts, please contact:
Caroline Fenn, Participant Development Officer on:
