Growing the leadership talent pool: perceptions of heads, middle leaders and classroom teachers about professional development and leadership succession planning within their own schools

Abstract

This article reports on outcomes from a study funded by the National College for School Leadership designed to explore the factors that assist in the leadership development of teachers at a number of stages of their career development. More specifically, the study sought to identify issues associated with leadership talent identification, development, succession and retention in contextually different primary and secondary schools in England. In the face of school leadership shortages in the United Kingdom and internationally, it has been suggested that leadership succession planning in individual schools can contribute to increasing the supply of successors as incumbent leaders leave their posts. Focus groups and a questionnaire were used to secure perceptions of heads, middle leaders and classroom teachers about leadership succession planning within their own schools. The study secures a better understanding of factors perceived either to aid or to hinder leadership succession planning across a sample of 70 schools. A variety of contextual, cultural and developmental influences on talent pool development and leadership succession planning are identified. The findings strongly indicate that a coherent and coordinated approach to leadership learning and development in individual schools, supported by incumbent senior leaders, is essential if succession planning is to be effective and the supply of able leaders entering the talent pool is to be increased.

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