National Academy for Educational Leadership

The National Academy for Educational Leadership Wales (Leadership Academy) is a fundamental part of the education landscape. Our mission is “Inspiring Leaders - Enriching Lives” with the aim of bringing clarity and coherence to educational leadership in Wales. Through our work we will ensure that practitioners are able to engage with the most relevant, meaningful and inspiring professional learning. We do this through:

• Quality Assurance - Our quality assurance process involves the systematic review of current leadership development provision in Wales. Through a rigorous and robust two-stage endorsement process and monitoring framework we maintain and support provision that is of high quality, equitable and fit for purpose. We endorse provision such: Advanced Executive Coaching Programme, Experienced Headteacher Programme, Outstanding Leadership in Education, Higher Apprenticeship in Leadership & Management and many more.

• Innovation - Our Innovation Pathway, sessions and webinars are designed to promote innovative leadership, creating new ideas and stimulating innovative thinking and actions.

• System Leadership - Developing effective ‘system leaders’ and ‘system leadership’ is central to the education reform journey described in Our National Mission and is at the heart of the work we are taking forward in Wales through our flagship Associate model.

• Insight - The Insight Series introduces new, evidence-informed thinking in the form of research commissions, reviews of international policy and academic literatures and opinion pieces.

• Well-being - We want educational leaders’ well-being to be prioritised and systematically supported in Wales and we’re working with partners across the education system, as well as with Welsh Government and practitioners, to develop a more strategic approach to investing in the ‘whole leader’.

• Guidance - We believe practical guidance must be based on the best available evidence and so the guidance we publish is informed by international policy, practitioner literatures and the lived experience of educational leaders in Wales.

The Leadership Academy exists to support and develop the leadership practice of all our colleagues working across the education system in Wales. We do this for the benefit of our practitioners and the children and young people they work with, whatever the setting, or tier of our education system they are working in.

We are there to support all leaders at whatever stage of their careers. Whether they are just thinking of taking the next steps into formal leadership or are experienced leaders, we will give them the confidence, support and development that will help them be the best. We will support all leaders across Wales whether they are working in schools, other providers, within English or Welsh Medium settings, or other educational organisations such as the middle tier.  We will make educational leadership and education in Wales world leading and a great place to be.

The Leadership Academy is a central feature of the education reform journey set out in Education in Wales: Our national mission, update October 2020, where it is identified by Welsh Government as a key driver of Enabling Objective 2: Leadership working collaboratively to raise standards.