Best Practice

The path to SLT: Four key skills for aspiring school leaders

Aiming for headship Middle leadership Senior leadership
Research into effective leadership consistently highlights the importance of four key skills that we must develop in order to lead our schools – and our colleagues – with success. Debbie Tremble explores
Image: Adobe Stock

When I was an early career teacher, I viewed senior roles as hierarchical and leadership styles as predominantly top-down but senior leadership in schools has changed over the past 20 years.

Demands have changed as have priorities. I no longer see senior leaders as simply managing the school; now, I recognise them as drivers of innovation, working to improve educational outcomes. Leadership, after all, is second only to classroom teaching in its impact on student success.

Navigating into senior leadership often means meeting new challenges while also maintaining a clear vision for the school. I transitioned into senior leadership 10 years ago, and the experience was undeniably challenging.

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