We develop leaders
Systems don't change children's lives.People do.
We develop the leaders this work needs: people who can think and act across institutions, not only within them.
The premise
Less heroic, more civic
For decades, the answer to hard problems in education has been the exceptional head who beats the system so their children can beat the odds. It's remarkable, but it isn't a plan.
The leadership this work needs changes the odds for every child, not just the ones lucky enough to find a hero. That's a different craft, and it can be learned.
Leadership is a practice, not a job title: taking responsibility for helping others reach a shared purpose when the way ahead is uncertain.
Our definition draws on the work of Marshall Ganz. It applies to the teacher, the youth worker and the family support worker as much as the head.
| Heroic leadership | Civic leadership |
|---|---|
| One exceptional person | Many people, in many roles |
| Beats the system | Changes the system |
| Inside the school gates | Across the neighbourhood |
| Some children beat the odds | The odds change for every child |
Our programmes
Two steps on the same path
For leaders getting ready to run a school, and for leaders getting ready to run a trust. Both are about leading beyond your own gates.
The x100s
Our flagship programme, run region by region. Each cohort brings around 100 aspiring and serving heads together to build the skills and relationships to lead beyond their own school.
LeadingTrusts
Time away from daily pressure to think clearly about the organisation you want to build. Through structured inquiry and honest peer challenge, you develop the judgement to lead a trust that shapes the places its schools sit in, not only the schools themselves.
- Structured inquiry
- Peer challenge
- Trust and place
How our leaders learn
Not from a syllabus alone. From three sources, every cohort.
From each other
A cohort of peers from the same region, facing the same challenges, building relationships that outlast the programme.
From schools doing it well
Schools that already work beyond their gates: what they do, and what it takes.
From places organising differently
Neighbourhoods where schools, services and families already work around the same children.
Find your way in
Wherever you are in your leadership, there's a place to start.
Join an x100 cohort
Find the programme in your region.
Join LeadingTrusts
A national programme for leaders getting ready to run a school trust.
Build support in your neighbourhood
Start with the Cradle-to-Career Partnership and our Catalyst programme.
Develop the wider workforce
Coherence is built by everyone around a child, not just the person at the top.