Developing Specialist Leaders of Education: a research engagement approach

There has been little research to date on the continuing professional development needs of the several thousand Specialist Leaders of Education now designated by the National College for Teaching and Leadership in England to work across schools as consultants on school-to-school support. This case study reports on the second and third stages of a four stage research process designed to address these needs. The first stage reported on the creation of a professional development agenda for SLE’s using consultancy research. These middle stages test out this agenda with a stakeholder group of SLEs, head teachers and broker in a Teaching Schools Alliance. The fourth stage will track the implementation of professional development activities arising from these findings. Apart from the specific needs of Specialist Leaders of Education, this study will have wider relevance for all practitioners and researchers working in and with schools on leadership development using Research Engagement strategies and Joint Practice Development approaches in a so-called ‘self-improving’ school system.