Joint funding to help next generation flourish.
Hundreds of school leaders will benefit from extra training
opportunities to further develop their leadership skills, helping
to improve job satisfaction and bring benefits to the schools
where they work.
The Scottish Government is contributing £400,000 to the Head
Teacher Leadership Academy (HTLA), run by Columba 1400, with the
Hunter Foundation matching this with an additional £400,000.
The total investment will enable up to 280 school leaders to
strengthen their own development and enhance outcomes for pupils,
staff and communities. The HTLA focuses on how school heads see
themselves as social leaders.
Education Secretary met with head teachers and
deputy head teachers who have taken part in the HTLA during a
visit to Royal High School, Edinburgh, where she formerly taught.
Ms Gilruth said:
“As a former teacher, I have seen first-hand the pivotal role
that head teachers and deputy heads have at the heart of schools
and across the wider community.
“They help drive up standards in classrooms, and this has
resulted in clear improvements in attainment nationally and
better futures for children and young people. They also provide
invaluable support to teachers and staff in their schools,
improving the working environment and ensuring everyone feels
valued and able to be at their best in the classroom.
“The Head Teacher Leadership Academies are a proven success and I
know that participation will ensure heads and deputy heads will
get the time and support to reflect on their values and
strengthen leadership, enabling them to create lasting change in
their schools and communities.
“This investment is part of the Scottish Government's wider
support for the teaching profession, which also includes the
recently-launched ‘Teaching Makes People' recruitment campaign.”
Sir Tom Hunter said:
“School leaders are the secret sauce to Scotland's future,
enabling the next generation to flourish and that's precisely why
we should invest in their values based leadership.
“The results are phenomenal and that's why I'd like to see every
head and deputy head teacher in Scotland go through the Columba
1400 Head Teacher Leadership Academies.”
Marie Clare Tully, Chief Executive of Columba 1400, said:
“This investment allows us to reach even more Head Teachers and
Deputy Head Teachers across Scotland. It is a privilege to be
alongside school leaders as they pause, reflect and reconnect
with their values. We see each and every day how this experience
contributes to creating the conditions for cultural change
through values-based leadership.
“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for their
re-investment and to The Hunter Foundation for their continued
support and their belief in what is possible."
Background
Columba 1400 is a
Scottish charity founded in 1997 and opened in 2000, dedicated to
helping young people, especially those from tough realities, and
the key adults in their lives discover their leadership potential
through values-based leadership academies.
The Head Teachers' Leadership Academy equips senior professionals
in education with the confidence, resilience, and skills they
need to create lasting change in their school and
communities.
