Kirsty Williams MS, Minister for Education
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Leadership in our schools has never faced a greater challenge than that presented by COVID19. We have made big strides in recent years, following the OECD’s challenge to us on leadership culture, opportunities and development. I am pleased that the OECD now recognises that through Our National Mission’s emphasis on leadership as a driver of reform we are succeeding with “coherence and clarity (in) the development of the education reform journey.”
To continue this momentum, and support our leaders and future leaders, I am commissioning:-
- A strategic review of support for leadership in Wales that includes consideration of the NPQH, the funding model for leadership support, succession planning and our expectations of leadership’s role in realising the curriculum
- a critical review of the roles and responsibilities of all the agencies in the system that provide support for leadership and how they interact to achieve the best solutions for a typical school leadership team including Heads, Deputy Heads and Assistant Heads
This will result in advice from the review team in respect of the roles of each of the agencies and how they will need to interact and the development of a leadership action plan.
This Leadership Review will inform future developments and provide clarity on the support we have for school leaders across the system, and the support they will need to enable them to realise the new curriculum.
To undertake the review I will engage a team of experts. I have asked Professor Alma Harris, a specialist in the field of Leadership from Swansea University, to lead the review. Professor Harris will lead a team of partners from HE and practice in Wales in undertaking the review. Professor Carol Campbell of the University of Toronto Ontario has also agreed to support the review, bringing an international perspective and critical objectivity; acting as critical friend to the group. The review will be undertaken between February and April; with the report available later in 2021.