Hundreds of school leaders to get extra training thanks to £800,000 investment

Up to 280 senior school teachers could benefit from extra training, thanks to cash from the Scottish Government and a charity set up by businessman Sir Tom Hunter.

Both the Government and the Hunter Foundation will contribute £400,000 to the Head Teacher Leadership Academy – which helps head teachers and other senior school staff develop their leadership skills.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said such schemes have “proven success” and could help heads and deputy head teachers “create lasting change in their schools and communities”.

Sir Tom said such teachers “are the secret sauce to Scotland’s future, enabling the next generation to flourish”.

Ms Gilruth, who was a teacher before becoming an MSP, said in her time in the classroom she had “seen first-hand the pivotal role that head teachers and deputy heads have at the heart of schools and across the wider community”.

Speaking about the role head teachers and deputies can play, she added: “They help drive up standards in classrooms, and this has resulted in clear improvements in attainment nationally and better futures for children and young people.

“They also provide invaluable support to teachers and staff in their schools, improving the working environment and ensuring everyone feels valued and able to be at their best in the classroom.

“The Head Teacher Leadership Academies are a proven success and I know that participation will ensure heads and deputy heads will get the time and support to reflect on their values and strengthen leadership, enabling them to create lasting change in their schools and communities.”

Sir Tom said: “School leaders are the secret sauce to Scotland’s future, enabling the next generation to flourish – and that’s precisely why we should invest in their values-based leadership.”

The Head Teacher Leadership Academies – which are run by the charity Columba 1400 – achieve “phenomenal” results, he added, saying he would like to see every head and deputy head teacher in Scotland go through the programme.

Columba 1400 chief executive Marie Clare Tully said the extra funding will allow it to “reach even more head teachers and deputy head teachers across Scotland”.

She continued: “It is a privilege to be alongside school leaders as they pause, reflect and reconnect with their values.

“We see each and every day how this experience contributes to creating the conditions for cultural change through values-based leadership.

“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for their re-investment and to the Hunter Foundation for their continued support and their belief in what is possible.”