UCL's Institute of Education provide 'Building Leadership for Change' training

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education, as part of the reform agenda set out in the country’s “Vision 2030” strategy has launched an ambitious series of professional development programmes for teachers and school leaders, aiming to create capacity for sustained school system improvement. The Ministry has taken an internationally collaborative approach to this in partnership with universities in Canada, Australia and the UK.

Challenge

The challenge set by the Ministry of Education was to help the cohort of school leaders and supervisors equip themselves with the technical knowledge and leadership qualities and skills to become effective “change agents” on their return to Saudi Arabia. A core aim set out by the Ministry was to encourage a shift from an administrative model of school and system leadership to one focused on leadership for learning, sometimes described as “instructional leadership.” 

In 2018, the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) was invited to design and deliver a year-long, immersive, leadership development programme for the “best of the best” school leaders and supervisors (a role which combines the functions of inspector and school improvement partner) from across the Saudi Arabia state school system.

Solution

The “Building Leadership for Change through School Immersion” programme (or Khebrat خبرات which translates as “experience”) was delivered in London, with participants living here with their families for one year, spending a substantial proportion of their time on placements in London schools as well as completing university-based leadership and English language courses.

Women presenting at a seminar

The programme was collaboratively designed and delivered by the IOE’s London Centre for Leadership in Learning (LCLL), the UCL Centre for Languages and International Education (CLIE) and IOE partner schools: Walthamstow School for Girls, Oaklands School, Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre and schools from within Lambeth Teaching Schools’ Alliance. Participants’ experience included three connected elements:

English language skills development, provided by CLIE. This took the form of an initial 6-week intensive programme, followed by weekly sessions throughout the year which supported participants in developing the academic and general language skills as well as cultural-linguistic awareness needed to engage both in their school placements and the IOE-based leadership development programme.
 
Guided school immersion programme in our partner schools: 3 separate placements for all participants in London schools, with personalised weekly support from both school-based mentors and IOE faculty mentors.

A school leadership development programme at the IOE, organised around four taught modules:

• School Leadership and Management
• Developing Teaching and Learning, Curriculum and Assessment
• Leading Professional Learning and Development
• Leading Change and Improvement

In every half term, guided by their mentors, participants carried out professional enquiries (based on appreciative enquiry principles) into an individually chosen element of their placement schools and then presented their learning to their peers and staff from CLIE and LCLL, using the LCLL Enquiry Framework:

At the end of the programme, supported by their LCLL mentors and CLIE tutors, participants prepared 2000 word formal academic reports in English, demonstrating their learning from across the programme and with focuses chosen by them (reflecting their areas of responsibility in their home roles).

The IOE welcomed the first cohort to London in January 2019 and all participants successfully completed the programme at the end of the year. 

Read about the full programme and outcomes here