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National Leaders of Education/National Support Schools

"We are looking for outstanding school leaders who will help to perform key system leadership roles across schools, and whose own school has the capacity to provide effective assistance to other schools."

NCSL has, to date, identified more than 180 National Leaders of Education (NLE), with their National Support Schools (NSS), to work with schools in challenging circumstances.

Objectives of the NLE/NSS programme

To provide, with the staff of their schools, additional leadership to schools in difficulty, including those in Ofsted categories and/or that may be in transition towards closure, amalgamation, federation or academy status.
To advise ministers and other key stakeholders on education policy.
To provide advice to NCSL on the development of the NLE/NSS initiative.

Deployment

The deployment of NLEs and their NSS staff has been tailor-made to suit the needs of each school in challenging circumstances (the client school), and is the responsibility of local authorities. However, the following features will be common to all circumstances:

NLEs will provide additional leadership capacity and NSS staff will provide advice, guidance, support and challenge as appropriate.
The prime focus of the work of NLEs and NSS is to assist the client school in making significant progress in emerging from an Ofsted category or in avoiding going into one.
NLEs will be employed through contract to the local authority (although they may come from a neighbouring local authority). Individualised protocols clarifying lines of communication, levels of accountability and confidentiality will be clarified at the outset and made explicit in the light of the unique circumstances faced by the client school.
NCSL is responsible for providing quality assurance, support and training for NLEs and their NSS staff.

Recruitment of a fifth tranche of National Leaders of Education and National Support Schools

We will be recruiting further primary, secondary and special school/PRU NLEs/NSSs in early 2009. Further details of the recruitment timetable and process will be posted here.

If you would like to discuss the programme in more detail or wish to be alerted when our next recruitment opens, please contact Alicia Cox, Senior Programme Manager on 0115 872 3881 or email Alicia.Cox@ncsl.org.uk.

Fellowship Programme

The Fellowship Programme is the pinnacle of NCSL provision and offers an exciting opportunity to those who want to influence the wider education landscape as system leaders.

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