This course seeks to provide middle leaders (and aspiring middle leaders) with an opportunity to develop professional knowledge and expertise in the leadership of change for improvement in an educational context. Learning activities throughout the course will provide opportunities for participants to critically engage with academic literature and policy in relation to the leadership of change for improvement and there is an emphasis on curriculum and pedagogical leadership within the current national and international policy context.

Saturday Day School and weekday twilight.

The assessment has 2 components.

1. Academic presentation with critical commentary (4500 words equivalent. Weighting 75%) 

■ An academic presentation summarising key aspects of the change initiative.

■ A supporting critical commentary to illustrate how relevant research and literature has informed leadership of the change initiative. 

2. Critical reflection: (1500 words. Weighting 25%)

A critical reflection of personal and professional growth as a middle leader through leadership of the change initiative and learning throughout the middle leadership programme. The critical reflection will draw from relevant research and scholarly literature.

This course aims to provide opportunities for participants to develop knowledge and expertise in the leadership of change through critical engagement with relevant academic literature and work-based learning in which participants will apply this knowledge to lead an agreed priority for improvement within an educational setting. These activities are designed to enable participants to

■ Build capacity in leading change for improvement as a middle leader.

■ Develop and apply skills in identifying and leading an improvement initiative through responsive planning and evaluation.

■ Build further capacity and capability in self and others to lead change through appreciating and reflecting critically on the emotional and personal aspects of leadership.

By the end of this course students will be able to

■ Apply critical knowledge and understanding of the concept of change and change processes to the leadership of an improvement in learning and/or teaching.

■ Demonstrate competence in emergent planning and an appreciation of the context specific nature of school improvement.

■ Apply understandings of the nature of collaboration and the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills needed to build and sustain collaborative working.

■ Build and apply strategies for rigorous and collaborative evaluation, generating evidence of impact for learners.

■ Drawing from relevant sources of evidence, critically evaluate personal capacity to lead change for improvement as a middle leader and critically reflect upon leadership development throughout the programme.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.