I’ll get started by introducing myself,

My name is Amie and I am currently working as an Associate Headteacher of a 4 form entry Junior school in Edgware. I started at the school 4 and half years ago as the Deputy Headteacher and have been in the post of Associate Headteacher for the last 2 years due to my Headteacher partly retiring. As my current school approaches amalgamation; I feel ready to begin the journey towards a headship of my own.

I felt the starting point was to complete my NPQH to develop my knowledge, experience and begin to prepare myself for the challenges of headship. After approval from my Headteacher and governing body, I began to review the different providers and finally decided to complete the training with the Best Practice Network (BPN) and the Outstanding Leaders Partnership (OLP) because of the quality of the course they offered and due to the combination of online and face to face training. I felt this mix of training would allow for an element of flexibility to enable me to complete the training alongside my current role.

The application process was time-consuming but thought-provoking. I had to self-assess myself again the following criteria:  Strategy and Improvement, Teaching and Curriculum Excellence, Leading with Impact, Working in Partnership, Managing Resources and Risks, Increasing Capability. Working through the statements allowed me to consider the skills I had already gained on my leadership journey but also to focus the learning I still needed to do.

After being selected to be a participant in the Spring 19 cohort, I received information about the dashboard (the hub for key information). This website is full of information about the course and provides an opportunity to message and share experiences with other leaders also starting their NPQH journey.

When I first started to view the website, I felt a little overwhelmed as the course content seemed immense and the idea of filming myself presenting to the governors seem daunting. But after composing myself, I realised the breakdown of units was manageable and the timescale was pre-arranged so I can plan/ organise work around the course commitment.  

So far I have used the dashboard to introduce myself to the other members of the cohort and completed my diagnostic review (a self-assessment against criteria similar to the application form); this review is also shared and completed by colleagues to get an all-round starting point evaluation.   

Currently, I am starting to prepare for the first face-to-face meeting. I am excited to get started and I am especially looking forward to meeting the other leaders starting their journey to headship. Let the fun (and learning) begin!