This paper critically reviews England's National Professional Qualification of Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) and Sweden's National Principal Training Program (NPTP). The design and implementation of these programs are critiqued considering the process of professional learning, with view of offering recommendations for future policies on…

The role of middle leaders in bringing about improvement in schools is well documented in the UK and abroad, with the ever-present demand for raising standards and achievement. At the same time, the benefits to individuals from receiving coaching or mentoring is also well documented. However, little is known about the benefit to those providing…

As part of a 2-year research project, 79 interviews were undertaken with adult social care (ASC) registered managers (RMs) in England. The study aimed to identify the factors that influence the leadership practice and priorities of RMs in their role in ASC at two points, before and after a leadership development programme (LDP). A critical…

The policy context for schools in England places great emphasis on leadership and autonomy as drivers of educational improvement. The purpose of this article is to explore how we can better understand, in this context, the challenges of leadership and autonomy and the conditions of leadership development that support or hinder the practice of…

Today, the engineering landscape is continually changing, and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have a responsibility to design curricula that address the growing demands of various industry sectors. Likewise, the roles and responsibilities of an engineer are evolving; requiring a further broadening of the current engineering curriculum. As a…

School leaders in England have a huge task to mediate factors in a school's environment (regulatory/legal and institutional). Rapid and sometimes conflicting policy agendas for improved performance have become a main preoccupation of school leaders as they jostle to keep their jobs as they wrestle to implement the latest government mandate. As a…

This account of practice focusses on insights from the 'early days' of an action learning set within a leadership development programme in the English NHS. The account describes experiences of forming as a set as an important foundation for trust. Developing trust between set members enabled members to take more risks, sharing current and complex…

While shadowing as a method has been analysed and discussed, these discussions have often been focused on (business) management research as opposed to school leadership research. Additionally, little attention has so far been paid to the parameters of shadowing. Without knowledge of these matters, the validity, merits and difficulties of shadowing…

Whilst existing research has explored the impact of a peer support role on the holistic development of mentees and mentors, very little is known about the experiences of those students who work in partnership alongside academic and service colleagues in co-creating, implementing, and delivering these programs. In this exploratory case study, the…

The climate and ecological emergency is not new. For decades, universities have been at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change and embed sustainability in all areas of life across the UK. But the need for change is now more urgent than ever, and universities are playing their part. Universities are vital in tackling climate change. They…

Amid the backdrop of the global pandemic and other complex societal and organizational challenges, the demand for proficient people management skills among managers and leaders has become increasingly urgent. The ensuing narrative offers an account of a leadership development initiative tailored for line managers and delivered amid the pandemic.…

Although virtue ethics has emerged as an influential ethical theory within the academy, universities have not generally taken up the practical task of virtue cultivation. Some academics even resist the effort altogether. In response, this article presents an early-stage evaluation of one effort to cultivate virtue in postgraduate students, a…

The roles universities are seen to play have changed significantly over the last 25 years. The concept of higher education has, and, continues to morph from a distanced, unengaged ivory tower to a highly engaged community-based concept. Yet there is little in the literature about how universities viewed as 'anchor institutions' support…

The English further education sector has undergone significant change since the Further and Higher Education Act (1992) encouraged a culture of entrepreneurship, competition and the use of what was seen as best practice from the commercial sector. This led to a cultural shift and the introduction of many new initiatives -- a situation that still…

Many high-stakes qualifications include non-exam assessments that are marked by teachers. Awarding bodies then apply a moderation process to bring the marking of these assessments to an agreed standard. Comparative Judgement (CJ) is a technique where two (or more) pieces of work are compared at a time, allowing an overall rank order of work to be…