Two of the Island’s deputy headteachers have been successful in securing the nationally recognised qualification for headship.

Keith Winstanley, Deputy Headteacher at Ballakermeen High School, and Graeme Cushnie, Deputy Headteacher at Manor Park Primary School, have completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).

This brings the total number of successful NPQH graduates funded by the Department of Education to 43.

The first two Island graduates of the NPQH, which was established in 1999, were Adrienne Burnett, now the Headteacher at Ballakermeen, and Paul Craine, now the Department’s Co-ordinating Adviser for 11-19 Education.

The successes of Keith Winstanley and Graeme Cushnie are the latest in a steady succession of suitably qualified and experienced teachers being equipped to handle school headship.

The NPQH, run by the UK’s National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, is the flagship qualification for aspiring headteachers.

In England, there has been a mandatory requirement since 2004 for applicants for headteacher posts at primary or secondary level to hold the NPQH.

The NPQH programme is underpinned by the National Standards for Headteachers and practitioners on the programme are referred to as ‘trainee headteachers’.

The programme involves stints of up to 20 days in Nationally accredited ‘placement schools’, the first of which on the Island is Marown Primary School.

Mr Craine comments, "The Department is committed to the NPQH programme because it both provides opportunities for our senior leaders to develop their potential to become effective headteachers and ensures that we have suitably qualified applicants for headteacher posts.

"The NPQH has international recognition as a very high quality leadership development programme.  On behalf of the Department, I would congratulate Keith and Graeme and wish them every success in their future careers."