PRESS RELEASE
22 December 2006
Two Catholic dioceses chosen for prestigious school leadership pilot project
The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) has included a “Catholic pilot” in a new project which seeks to propose local solutions to headteacher recruitment problems. The one year scheme is designed to encourage a wide range of innovative strategies across the country, with the aim of disseminating successful practice both during and after the period of the project.
Hallam and Hexham & Newcastle dioceses have been chosen among the ten pilot areas, most of which are Local Authorities. “We are very privileged to be chosen and I give my whole-hearted support to the pilot,” said the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, the Right Reverend Kevin Dunn. “The continued success and development of our Catholic school is crucially dependent on our Governing Bodies being able to appoint highly qualified and committed Catholics to leadership positions.”
Two dedicated fieldworkers are provided by NCSL for the project: they are already familiarising themselves with schools in the dioceses and the existing provision of courses, conferences and other means of identifying and encouraging those aspiring to leadership.
“This is a great success for our sector,” said Oona Stannard, Chief Executive of the Catholic Education Service. “It recognises both the national importance of Catholic schools and their distinctive needs.”
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Chair of the Catholic Education Service, enthusiastically welcomed the involvement of the Catholic sector: “The involvement of two dioceses in a national strategy of this significance is a sign of the importance we and the NCSL attach to finding solutions to the problem of securing sufficient leaders for our schools. Our participation is a tribute to the excellent relations established between the NCSL and the Catholic Education Service, and to the NCSL’s high regard for Catholic schools. I wish the project every success.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Through the project the dioceses will have access to resources, communication networks and accurate data, in addition to the time of two dedicated field workers appointed by NCSL.
The 12th annual report of Professor John Howson, The state of the labour market for senior staff in schools in England and Wales, 2005-6 indicates the scale of the problem nationally and the particular difficulties in appointing leaders for Catholic schools. A summary is available on the CES website: http://www.cesew.org.uk/standard.asp?id=4641
For more information please contact Laura McCann, Policy and Briefing Officer: t: 0207 901 4854 e: lmccann@cesew.org.uk, w. www.cesew.org.uk.
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