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Inner-city heads scheme extended Top heads for toughest schools
(about 3 hours later)
An experimental project to provide fast-tracked, intensively trained head teachers for tough inner-city schools is to be expanded.An experimental project to provide fast-tracked, intensively trained head teachers for tough inner-city schools is to be expanded.
Prime Minister Tony Blair and Education Secretary Alan Johnson will announce a wider role for the Future Leaders scheme at a Downing Street seminar. Prime Minister Tony Blair and Education Secretary Alan Johnson announced a wider role for the Future Leaders scheme at a Downing Street seminar.
Schools have reported a growing problem in recruiting head teachers. This project is designed to recruit candidates from outside education into becoming head teachers.
Mr Blair is expected to give his support for "executive" heads who would take charge of more than one school. It will also seek to alleviate the growing shortage of head teachers.
Federations of schools - and "trusts" that combine individual schools - will provide opportunities for such chief-executive-style head teachers, Mr Blair will tell a seminar on school leadership. The Future Leaders scheme, based on a project in the US, provides hothouse training for a small number of potential heads and deputies - specifically recruited to manage the most challenging schools.
Challenging schoolsChallenging schools
Mr Blair is also expected to endorse the work of the National College for School Leadership - which last year published a report "challenging the long held assumption that every school needs its own head teacher". Mr Johnson spoke of his enthusiasm for a project he had visited in a deprived area of Washington in the United States - where strong leadership had helped to turn around schools from failure into examples of success.
The project wants to fast-track leaders for inner-city schoolsThe project wants to fast-track leaders for inner-city schools
The Future Leaders scheme, based on a project in the US, provides hothouse training for a small number of potential heads and deputies - specifically recruited to manage the most challenging schools. And Schools Minister Andrew Adonis, speaking at the seminar, emphasised the importance of having the best leaders in the most challenging schools.
The initial intake of 20 trainees will now be doubled to 40 for next autumn - with the programme being designed to make these recruits ready to become head teachers within four years. The Future Leaders' initial intake of 20 trainees will now be doubled to 40 for next autumn - with the programme being designed to make these recruits ready to become head teachers within four years.
These trainees spend a "residency" year in an inner-city secondary school - as apprentices to an outstanding teacher and with the support of an individual "coach". These trainees, all currently based in London, spend a "residency" year in an inner-city secondary school - as apprentices to an outstanding teacher and with the support of an individual "coach".
They will also be expected to visit other education projects trying to tackle the underachievement that accompanies deprivation - with the current trainees visiting an inner-city school project in New York.
In their second year, these trainees will find senior posts in schools - such as deputy headships - accompanied by further training.In their second year, these trainees will find senior posts in schools - such as deputy headships - accompanied by further training.
Head shortagesHead shortages
The project has also made a virtue of looking beyond education for its candidates - and included in the current trainees are eight former teachers who left the classroom for other careers.The project has also made a virtue of looking beyond education for its candidates - and included in the current trainees are eight former teachers who left the classroom for other careers.
The aim of Future Leaders is to break the cycle of poverty and educational failure - pointing to the contrast between a child from an affluent area having a 70% chance of getting five good GCSEs, while only 30% of youngsters in poorer areas achieve this level.The aim of Future Leaders is to break the cycle of poverty and educational failure - pointing to the contrast between a child from an affluent area having a 70% chance of getting five good GCSEs, while only 30% of youngsters in poorer areas achieve this level.
The project also comes against a background of head teacher shortages.The project also comes against a background of head teacher shortages.
The General Teaching Council for England has warned about the lack of candidates for headships - forecasting that in the next four years there could be 40% of posts left vacant. Speaking at the seminar, head teachers' leader John Dunford warned of the "demographic downturn" - with an ageing teaching profession meaning that a large number of retiring heads would have to be replaced.
The General Teaching Council for England has also warned about the lack of candidates for headships - forecasting that in the next four years there could be 40% of posts left vacant.
The GTC survey, predicting a shortfall, had found that there were only 4% of teachers who anticipated applying for headships - while 34% of existing heads wanted to retire in the next five years.The GTC survey, predicting a shortfall, had found that there were only 4% of teachers who anticipated applying for headships - while 34% of existing heads wanted to retire in the next five years.