Staff at The White Horse Federation receive training and support from the first steps of their career pathway right the way to the end. For those interested in pursuing a role in leadership, the School Improvement Team helps employees to receive specialist training in conjunction with an external consultant, whether that be for those interested in entering senior leadership or for those currently in a leadership role but seeking to further their skills.
365 Days in Leadership
365 Days in Leadership aims to offer the knowledge and skills that will enable senior leaders to build professional capacity in both themselves and in those they lead. Focusing on building a culture with significant capacity for improvement, it explores the essential ingredients that contribute to success and the role played by senior leaders in enacting these principles.
Aspire - Foundations for Headship
This programme offers the knowledge and skills to enable senior leaders to articulate a vision for increasing capacity for improvement and to implement this strategy for whole school improvement and maximising pupil outcomes. It addresses the ‘big picture’ of what contributes to organisational success and the role played by Deputy/Assistant Heads in optimising conditions that maximise learning through results.
Future Visions
Future Visions has been designed as a vehicle to support professional networking and will enable Head Teachers and Principals to meet and engage in a rich dialogue about great leadership practices, successes, and challenges. Networking and collaborating with those in a similar position can be the most valuable experience for any professional, and this course provides the opportunity for reflection on continual personal growth and development.
Primary staff are supported by a range of well-established System Leader Groups that meet between three to six times a year with a specific focus and agenda that addresses previously identified Trust-wide specific themes. System Leader Groups span the whole primary phase, and there are also specific groups to support those with a particular responsibility within school. Year group colleagues also have the opportunity to meet with each other throughout the year to moderate work specific to their year group and share good practice from their phase. Core subject networks are facilitated by external consultants liaising with TWHF staff, ensuring the latest educational thinking is woven into the meetings and adds a degree of external moderation.
I am currently on the 365 Days of Leadership programme which I have found incredibly supportive in my current role as UKS2 Phase Leader. It has given me the opportunity to reflect on myself as a leader and what my next steps are in order to develop my skills further. I always come away from the sessions feeling inspired to question my own beliefs and think about how I can ensure I am embedding these in everything I do within my role.
Through The White Horse Federation, I have completed my NPQML and I am currently engaging in the 365 of Leadership with Andy Hind. These courses have been engaging, thought provoking, and have given me many opportunities to reflect on my practice as a leader. I have been able to consider my strengths and weaknesses as a leader and have been able to try new strategies and reflect on these. I thoroughly enjoy participating in the 365 training and have found that it has been fundamental for my development as I progress in my career as a teacher and a leader.
