The Arts Council of Wales in partnership with Welsh Government are delighted to be able to launch an exciting opportunity created for middle/senior school leaders, endorsed by the National Academy for Educational Leadership to support school leaders to develop creative leadership within their own school settings.
The aim of the programme is to encourage confidence in new ways of working, innovation, reflection, and resilience whilst also developing the understanding of the role of creativity in the context of the Curriculum for Wales, the four purposes and the Professional standards for teaching and leadership.
Within the programme, participants are encouraged to reflect honestly about their professional practice and contexts and identify the barriers that may impede their capacity to become creative leaders.
The programme is tailored to each participant’s current stage of progression within their professional leadership career.
What the offer will entail:
The programme begins with a two-day training delivered by the Creative Leadership team within the Arts Council of Wales.
Each participant is then matched with a Creative Agent, based on the school leader’s needs, locality, and language of school, forming an ongoing working partnership over the course of 12-18 weeks.
The Creative Agent acts as both mentor and critical friend; reinforcing the principles of creative leadership, engaging in ongoing, supportive, and reflective dialogue.
There are also 2 networking opportunities to share progress and provide peer support.
A final collaborative sharing session disseminates the personal explorations amongst all involved forming a potential ongoing network.
Funding and support:
Each school leader will receive supply cover costs to attend the training, networking meetings and end point reflection meeting. It is an essential requirement of the programme that you attend both training days, the networking events and the sharing event.
Each participant will receive Creative Agent mentoring support for the duration of 12-18 weeks.
There is no direct grant fund allocated to schools.
Eligibility:
This provision is predominantly for those in or aspiring to middle or senior leadership roles, though we encourage the awareness of leadership in every role. It is for leaders of learning in all Areas of Learning Experience and not just the Expressive Arts.
We would particularly welcome expressions of interest from applicants from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
How to apply:
Applications close at 12 noon 20th February 2024
Timeline
| Deadline for Expression of Interest: | 20 February 2024 | |
| Training for middle/senior leaders: | South Wales: | 4 & 5 March 2024 |
| North Wales: | 11 & 12 March 2024 | |
| Networking events (online): | 29 April 2024 | |
| 5 June 2024 | ||
| Sharing event: | South Wales: | 3 July 2024 |
| North Wales: | 5 July 2024 |
If you have any questions, please contact one of the Creative learning team as detailed below:
lora.winfield-young@arts.wales
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Testimonials:
NAEL Quality Assurance Process Feedback July 2023:
- The provision supports leaders across Wales in realising ‘Our National Mission’ High standards and aspirations for all.
- Is led by high-quality personnel, facilitators, coaches, mentors appropriate to the target audience.
- The provision inspires and motivates the current and next generation of leaders at all levels of their career, supports well-being and meets a diverse range of needs.
Summary of participants comments during sharing sessions:
Brynllywarch special school worked with a group of boys to do a vlog during a ski trip to sell it to future students. It went so well they identified that it would have helped their transition had they had a recording of their new school to reduce their anxiety. They collaborated with Cardiff Metropolitan University and Powys Digital Lead to source VR headsets to produce augmented reality school tours.
St Joseph’s Primary felt the material shared in the mid-point networking event on the power of play really resonated with them. Teachers used voice notes and journalling to record their experience and were grateful for the CA’s mantra of “Know who you are and be that person every day.” “Inclusivity improved as we found creative learning engaged the lower-level learners better and challenged the higher level learners more.” “Really useful to refind yourself and reflect on your own practice and not just on leading others.”
Stanwell report being particularly inspired by the films shown during the mid-point networking event. As a result, they’ve shared the work of Professor Bill Lucas throughout the school and Creative habits of mind with the Teaching and Learning team. Staff reported feeling their persistence was low due to examination and assessment pressures. A new pastoral framework for Year 7 has been co-designed during the programme and shared with all staff.
From the group Padlet:
Exploring the idea of playful failure - I know you can do this - I'm going to change it so you can't do it - prove me wrong!
Considering how we view failure in school as a profession not just in the classroom.
Finding the balance point between self aware, school aware and being kind to ourselves both as learners and leaders
