Delivered by our partners at NITE (National Institute of Teaching and Education).
About this course
Our Masters in Educational Leadership is a taught Master’s course which is delivered either entirely online or via a blended delivery model (online and in-person). The blended version includes two 3-day residentials at our campus near Silverstone each term. The course is designed for current or aspiring senior leaders. You will have at least five years’ experience in schools and be in an existing leadership or management position in primary or secondary schools in the UK or internationally.
The aim of the course is to improve the quality of leadership in schools. The course materials have been written by successful head teachers who have combined their experience in leading schools with extensive research into the literature on leadership theory. The result is a taught course, which will expose you to real leadership expertise. It aims to give you a comprehensive understanding of the principles that define effective leadership and the personal skills to implement them.
Our course maintains that:
- the skills of effective leadership can be learnt and improved.
- there is no single and exclusive inherited leadership characteristic.
- by developing an understanding of the core principles for effective leadership and applying these principles in an authentic manner, responding appropriately to the context, then the abilities of a leader can be improved.
The course promotes the principle that effective leadership makes a significant difference to the culture of a school, the well-being and effectiveness of its staff and the quality of teaching & learning, all of which impact on outcomes for pupils. The course develops authentic practical skills through the use of The Harvard Business School Case Study Method, in which analysis and discussion of professionally useful approaches to real life scenarios help to develop the skills and principles of effective leadership.
Entry Requirements
Prior experience in teaching or in schools is not a pre-requisite of acceptance onto the course. Trainees can include recent graduates who have secured a teaching or teaching assistant job in a school, career changers and teachers/assistants who have worked in a school for a time but have no formal teaching qualification.
To gain entry to the course, all trainees must:
- Hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent as assessed by NARIC
- Be employed in a school for the duration of your study
Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 6.5 overall.
Participants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in verbal and written English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5 overall with no component less than 5.5, or TOEFL 600. If you have IELTS 6.0 you may be eligible to study our online pre-sessional English course.
Our MA in Educational Leadership encourages you to engage with a wide range of materials. These include research-based reading and case studies, which give examples of successful and unsuccessful leadership. You will have the opportunity to delve into different themes such as teaching & learning, changing the culture of a school and the needs of the people involved in school settings. These aim to enable you to understand the essential principles of effective leadership and to develop your own practice.
Our course maintains that leadership problems can be seen from the point of view of a ‘principle’, and we explore how leaders can apply these through their own personality and individual skill-sets. The principle-driven approach is a strength of the course, and the materials are designed to be helpful and developmental for school leaders in their day-to-day professional lives.
We plan to introduce you to a comprehensive range of academic material including theories of leadership, human psychology and current research on memory and learning. These are linked to practical application and relevance in leading modern educational institutions. Furthermore, the course uses real-life case study materials to reassure you that leadership can also be a source of amusement, inspiration and eccentricity.
The course comprises six mandatory modules, with study culminating in a final ‘action-research’ project. It is typically studied on a part-time basis over two academic years (six school terms), but this can be flexible. In line with the academic regulations, students can request for study to be paused or extended to aid personal or professional circumstances.
The course is also designed to be flexible in its delivery. It offers the option to study on a modular pathway with optional exit awards that would result in the award of either Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Leadership (PG Cert 60 credits level 7) or Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership (PG Dip 120 credits level 7).
The blended version of the course includes two 3-day residentials at our Silverstone campus, which will bring course participants together and provide peer support and a valuable collaborative learning environment for students to learn from one another. Accommmodation and meals for the residentials are included in the course fee.
The blended course is available for September start dates. The online course is available for September, January and April start dates.
Year One
- Overview – A university tutor will be assigned to you, who will conduct a pre-course self-analysis discussion with you through online conferencing. The discussions aim to ascertain your current leadership experience and identify your aims for studying the course. There will also be opportunities to begin to talk about your final project, as it is an activity which will support the development of your leadership skills throughout the course. Your university tutor should also act as your main contact during course discussions and responses to case study materials presented online. In the first year, we aim to present you with a clear set of values, behaviours and approaches through the teaching of theory, key skills and central themes and fundamental principles of effective leadership. The online materials try and provide a rich and compelling narrative. They aim to explore theoretical and research-based evidence of effective leadership approaches, the importance of institutional culture and the needs of leaders and followers. You are presented with a variety of case study exercises which draw out the central themes, and critical evaluation and the development of effective, individual approaches to each vignette is encouraged.
- Leadership Theory – This module aims to develop and enhance your understanding of the fundamental theories and principles which underlie effective leadership in schools. This is enriched by a varied collection of case studies from a range of settings. Students critically evaluate leadership concepts and apply them to their own practice.
- Leadership of Culture – This module introduces you to the importance of institutional culture. It explores analytical models which provide a research base for understanding how cultures operate in a school context. The module investigates the features of leadership behaviour that determine a school’s culture and how change is inspired and inhibited.
- Leadership of People – This module develops your understanding of the effective leadership of the people in a school setting. You will critically reflect on key themes such as teacher and staff management, lesson observation, target setting and performance.
Final Year
- Overview – This course focuses on the development of confident, effective and inspirational leaders who draw on both theory and practice to apply strategies that impact positively on school performance. In the second and final year, there will be a strong emphasis on the leadership of teaching and learning. You will have the opportunity to study best practice research in teaching & learning, the professionalisation of teaching, the science of learning and the practical implications of theory for classroom practice. The course concludes with an opportunity for you to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to undertake an extended piece of individual action-research which will show theory turning to practice. This dissertation is a leadership of change project drawing on the opportunities for educational leadership in your own context.
- Leadership of Teaching and Learning – This module aims to develop your ability to lead teaching and learning in a school setting and influence pupil outcomes. It aims to build expertise in the analysis of classroom performance, the science and theory of pedagogy and the development of teacher skills.
- Action Research Proposal – In this module, students have the chance to plan a substantive piece of individual research into leadership within their own context, applying theory to practice. You are supported with the additional research skills required, including online sessions on research methods and ethics in educational research.
- Action Research Project – Following the research proposal, you can implement your research project, investigating an area related to their professional practice. You will select an appropriate methodology, consider research design, methods and ethics. It should be presented in a written format to a Master’s level, interpreting your findings and making recommendations for its implementation.
How you’ll be taught
Online study including tutorials, group discussions, engagement with reading materials and case studies.
How you’ll be assessed
Assessment throughout the course is varied, engaging and designed to stimulate learning. It aims to include case study research, online discussions, written responses to real-life situations and longer written projects on ‘The Nature of Leadership’ and ‘The Leadership of Teaching and Teachers’.
In keeping with the course’s practical aspirations, you will also have the opportunity to complete an action-research project, in which you show how you apply theory to practice. This dissertation is a leadership-in-action or management of change project, and it should, therefore, involve the description and critical analysis of a process, over a period of time, rather than simply examining a theory or an issue.
On Completion
On successful completion of the course, you should be able to:
- Understand the principles that define effective leadership and use personal skills to implement them.
- Integrate effective leadership theory into your professional practice.
- Lead with confidence, implementing a clear vision for your school and helping teaching and non-teaching staff embody your desired culture.
- Formulate processes that meet the performance, observation, target-setting and discipline needs of your school.
- Critically evaluate the teaching and learning practice in education to identify opportunities for development.
- Communicate with confidence and impact with other senior leaders.
- Aim to progress in your career.
We offer a range of financing packages and our qualification fees are competitively priced. Please register your interest to find out more.
