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  • Teaching Leaders Impact  |  GCSE passes up by 15% in our first cohort’s departments, 1.5 times as fast as their schools.
  • Teaching Leaders Impact  |  70% of the first cohort have been promoted or given extra responsibility since beginning the programme

Participant stories

Amy Elcock

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I began my teaching career in 2003 as an NQT at Greenford High, and was promoted to the role of History Subject Leader in 2006.

What attracted me to the Teaching Leaders programme was that it offered the opportunity to access training and support specifically designed for the needs of middle leaders as opposed to focusing on issues of general school improvement.

The impact of being part of Teaching Leaders has surprised me in its depth and detail due to the access to a range of external expertise, the coaching input and networking with the other middle leaders. There is a good mix of participants at different stages in their career and in different environments but even so the topics and tasks are equally valid for all, no matter what their experience or context.

Despite my initial reservations about the value of one-to-one coaching, I have found the discussions to be very useful because the coach leads me, through questioning, to the real heart of the issue, by helping me to see implications and wider issues as the layers of assumptions are peeled back. It is the coaching that has giving me the clearest sense of personally targeted professional development.

The Problem Solving Discussions Groups were really helpful, especially due to the facilitators' sensitive and professional approach. I have been able to discuss in depth two or three topics, such as helping NQTs with behaviour management and raising a potentially controversial issue with the Senior Leadership Team. Not only do you get feedback from the Senior Leaders in these discussion groups, but you also get feedback from the other participants. This gives you an overall perspective of the problem you are discussing, and helps you come to a well informed conclusion. I have found I have been able to take ideas away from these discussion groups and use them in my own teaching and leadership practice.