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Woodrush High School

Woodrush Teaching School Alliance

Discover your Potential

School Support

Specialist Leaders of Education

Specialist Leaders of Education (SLE) are ‘outstanding’ middle and senior leaders who have the skills to support individuals or teams in similar positions in other schools. To become an SLE, you will need to provide evidence that you understand what outstanding leadership practice in your area of expertise looks like and you know how to support other leaders to do the same in their own context. See also SLE eligibility criteria and application guidance. 

Teaching Schools are responsible for designating SLE, brokering SLE deployments and providing ongoing support. The Department for Education introduced the SLE concept in their The Importance of Teaching:The Schools White Paper 2010. The SLE role is designed to help improve the quality of school leadership through school-to-school support and peer-to-peer learning,ultimately raising standards and improving the outcomes for children.

As an SLE, you will be deployed into schools to develop the leadership capacity of individuals and teams using coaching and/or facilitation that draws on the knowledge and expertise in your specialist area. Your work will contribute to improving outcomes for students in other school settings.
 
We are recruiting SLE from the priority areas in the table below:
 
 

Priority Areas

Leadership and management

·       Leadership of curriculum

·       Leadership of Assessment

Pupil achievement

·       English (Primary & Secondary Phase)

·       Information and communication technology (ICT)

·       Design & Technology (DT)

·       Maths (Primary & Secondary Phase)

·       Physical education (PE)

·       Support for the most able pupils

Quality of teaching

·       Initial teacher training (ITT) and newly qualified teacher (NQT) development

Behaviour and safety

·       Behaviour and discipline

·       Attendance
 
Benefits of Becoming an SLE :
  • opportunities to make a significant difference to the lives of young people through leading others
  • bring creative and developing innovative practice
  • opportunities to work collaboratively
  • develop coaching and facilitation skills
  • opportunities to work in a wide range of diverse contexts outside your own school
  • the chance to learn from others in addition to sharing your outstanding practice.

Designated SLE will be deployed inline with our priorities. They will be subject to more than the minimum training on offer, as there is recognition that further training will be needed in order for them to remain effective in the post.


Our alliance will monitor the impact of the SLEs' work. Regular dialogue will be held between our Teaching School and schools receiving support to ensure that the bespoke support provided is having the desired impact.

What will be involved?

Typically, SLE will work with middle and senior leaders to:
  • carry out diagnostic visits
  • develop action plans, identifying key priorities and SMART targets
  • provide one-to-one or group support
  • offer coaching and mentoring support
  • provide access to resources and training.

The ultimate aim of a SLE will always be to contribute significantly to improving the outcomes for children through developing the capacity of peer leaders in other schools.