Primary school leaders of the future who have passed an important qualification were today congratulated on their success by the Minister for Education and Children.
His Excellent the Lieutenant Governor presented teachers who have completed the Department’s primary leadership and management programme with certificates at a ceremony at the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education.
15 teachers completed level 2 of the programme, for staff with at least four years’ classroom experience who want to learn more about leading a subject or an aspect of school life.
A further 11 completed level 3, for staff with at least six years’ teaching experience who want to learn more about strategic leadership and management and aspire to roles up to and including deputy headships.
LM2 was run throughout the last academic year and involved four days’ training, assignments and an assessed task, based on work the teachers carried out in their schools. LM3 took participants a year longer and involved eight days’ training as well as assignments and school-based tasks.
Most of the teachers also completed a further 4,000-word (LM2) or 8,000-word (LM3) assignment. This aspect of the course was delivered by the College, will be validated by the University of Chester and will gain participants a Post Graduate Certificate in School Leadership and Management, which is equivalent to a third of a Masters degree.
Simon Jones, the recently retired Headteacher of Peel Clothworkers’ Primary School, is in charge of the leadership and management programme. He said: ‘Congratulations to the participants, all of whom passed the course. My thanks to my fellow tutors, Judith Lund, Jean Aksoy, Adrian Shorthouse, Ian Longshaw, Bronwen Udy, Chrissy Callaghan, Stuart Loaring, Jayne Adamson and Rob Sellors. Thirty eight teachers are enrolled for the latest LM courses, which started this month.’
Minister Crookall explained that the Department began the programme in 2005, partly to encourage continuous improvement in schools but also in response to the need to plan for succession in leadership, as it was aware a significant numbers of heads and deputies would retire in the decade to follow.
‘The programme is devised and tutored by members of the Department’s staff, including headteachers, and this ensures that it is relevant to the Island’s schools,’ he said.
‘The overall package of training makes a significant contribution to ensuring that teachers are well equipped to take on roles as deputy head teachers and headteachers in the future, should they wish to.
‘The now well established link with Chester University means that many participants are also able to gain a recognised post graduate qualification in leadership and management.’
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