The role of heads of schools or departments in universities has been described as complex and challenging. Despite growing calls for greater support for those in middle leadership roles, there has been little research on what effective preparation or support programmes look like. This article reports on an evaluation of a professional learning and development programme for heads of school at a New Zealand university. Data came from surveys and focus groups conducted over a 2-year period, and Kirkpatrick's stage model of levels of evaluation and Gmelch's comprehensive academic leadership model are both drawn on. Participants in this study became part of a learning community which provided much-needed collegial support in addition to having opportunities to learn about academic leadership, develop academic leadership skills and reflect on their practice.