Looking through the kaleidoscope: School leadership and place-based change
A forum focusing on the pressing global challenges facing educational leadership in a changing world, bringing diverse emerging voices into the education leadership policy conversation.

The UCL Centre for Educational Leadership’s public leadership forums aim to stimulate deep and meaningful learning conversations that will lead to purposeful and intentional change to enhance policy, practice and students’ and stakeholders’ learning and wellbeing.
In this forum, Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE argues that for school leaders seeking to understand their schools and the dynamic contexts they are in, it is like looking into a large kaleidoscope with multiple different lenses.
Drawing on her extensive insights as a school leader, Dr Ogden explains why school leaders whose schools are successful tend to develop a deep connection with the ‘place’ and the community which they serve. Her conclusion raises questions about the leadership paradigm shift needed to put at its heart the significance of contextual knowledge in the shaping of a child’s educational journey.
This event will be particularly useful for academics, school leaders, teachers and students.
Speakers
- Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE, Chief Executive Office of Mulberry Schools Trust
- Dr Peter Kent, Honorary Professor of Practice at IOE and President of the International Confederation of Principals (Chair)
- Dr Rob Higham, Associate Professor at IOE (Discussant)
- Dame Christine Gilbert DBE, Former Head of Ofsted and Visiting Professor at IOE (Discussant)
Related links
- Read the research paper: Looking through the kaleidoscope: School leadership and place-based change
- UCL Centre for Educational Leadership
- Department of Learning and Leadership
Image
MaxCab via Adobe Stock.
Further information
Ticketing
Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes