leadership impact
Build leadership into clear decisions, strong direction, and better learner outcomes.
empower future senior leaders with a strategic mindset, confidence, capability, and a support network.
Tailored for emerging senior leaders
Designed specifically for experienced middle leaders in the sector who are ready to develop the strategic capabilities needed to step into senior roles.
Sector-specific, evidence-based learning
Engages delegates with realistic leadership scenarios drawn from the FE context, ensuring development is directly relevant to the challenges they face.
Blended delivery for maximum impact
Combines expert-led online sessions with immersive residential modules, allowing leaders to balance operational pressures with the intensive, collaborative learning that happens when peers come together in person.
Mindset shift from operational to strategic leadership
Focuses on developing the thinking, confidence and judgement required to operate at a whole-organisation and system-wide level.
Expert guidance and peer challenge
Facilitated by experienced Principals, CEOs and sector leaders, providing real-world insight and guidance in a safe, reflective environment.
Practical tools for real-world application
Delegates leave with actionable strategies, frameworks and approaches they can apply immediately to drive impact in their organisations and prepare for the next stage of their leadership journey.
Build a stronger pipeline of senior leaders across your organisation
Shift the mind-set of your middle leaders into a strategic leadership role including how to operate effectively, influencing skills, shaping culture and approaches to leading in a complex world.
Enhance core individual leadership skills and impact, through a deeper understanding of themselves as a leader and how to drive meaningful change within organisations.
Create confident decision makers, delegates develop the judgement, strategic thinking, and resilience needed to respond effectively to sector-wide challenges, policy shifts and organisational pressures.
Delegates gain a network of like-minded peers beyond the programme, enabling ongoing support, collaboration and knowledge sharing across the sector.
Programme structure
This programme is a four-month blended development journey.
Designed around real-world leadership challenges, the programme gives aspiring senior leaders the tools to navigate complexity, build strategic influence and develop new ways of thinking and working.
Three two-hour online modules
Module 1
This session provides the foundation for the programme, helping delegates set direction, reflect on their leadership approach, and begin building connections with peers.
- What is leadership - Explore the meaning of leadership and what successful leadership looks like in today’s FE and skills context.
- Self as leader - Reflect on own strengths, leadership styles, and how to adapt these to meet the demands of senior leadership.
- Review the ETF Leadership Standards and core leadership competences to assess current capabilities and identify development priorities.
Module 2
This session focuses on the human and cultural aspects of senior leadership.
- Explore how personal and organisational values inform decision-making and guide leadership practice.
- Develop strategies for communicating difficult messages effectively and with confidence.
- Reflect on authentic leadership, understanding how to lead in a way that aligns with their values and inspires trust.
Module 3
This session equips delegates with the knowledge and tools to transition from operational management to strategic leadership, and to lead change effectively within the FE and skills sector.
- Develop skills for shaping long-term vision and organisational direction, aligning teams and resources to strategic priorities.
- Examine approaches to leading change in a complex environment, considering both internal and external factors.
Two night residential
During residential, delegates will:
- Engage in three immersive leadership scenarios, each building in complexity to move from current approaches to more effective ways of responding to multi-layered challenges.
- Apply strategic thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills to navigate complex organisational and sector-level issues, developing practical approaches they can take back to their organisations.
Two sessions of individual 1:1 coaching sessions
- Translate learning into practical actions that can be applied immediately within their own leadership
context. - Strengthen confidence, refine strategies, and maintain momentum as they transition into senior leadership roles.
Investment for long-term impact
confident teams
Create empowered leaders ready and able to drive culture, collaboration and change with confidence.
time for learning
The chance to step back, deepen leadership capability, renew clarity and ability to navigate complexity.
Who is the programme for?
This programme is designed for aspiring senior leaders within the FE and skills sector – experienced middle leaders.
An experience middle leader who is either preparing to step into strategic roles, or are exploring the next steps in their leadership career and want to lead with confidence and impact.
Participants are typically at the stage where they are looking to or will be about to move from leading teams and functions to shaping direction, contributing to whole-organisation decision-making, and operating with greater strategic accountability.
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