If schools develop the knowledge and skill sets of middle leadership, they will enhance teaching and learning within the school. Strong middle leadership is vital for the success of a school as staff are given the opportunity to be well led and senior staff are supported from below.

In order for schools to move forward, middle leaders need extra support, so how can schools ensure that their middle leaders are given opportunities and are aptly supported? Read on for more.

Mentoring

Mentoring allows middle leaders to get involved in the practicalities of their chosen leadership area and it lets aspiring leaders sample what they may face in the future. It is also good to have an experienced mentor to turn to look up to and turn for advice when needed.

CPD

Having middle leaders deliver parts of a school’s CPD programme is something that can help them to develop their skills of presentation and professional planning. Training opportunities and working with others is key to helping to develop essential skills in middle leaders.

A culture of growth

One great way to build a culture of growth is to have a CPD library. It sounds so simple, but having a collection teaching and learning books can be a valuable tool when it comes to grounding progress in research as it can also stimulate great discussion between staff.

‘Middle leaders, the engine room of the school, sit at the heart of this drive.’

– The Guardian

Having a strong support system for your middle leaders is important as middle leadership can often be a grey area in the career of a teacher. Being an effective subject leader is something that takes time to master because more often than not middle leaders are burdened with high teaching loads and the level of day-to-day tasks that quickly accumulate so fast middle leaders end up feeling as if they are performing a juggling act. Only when they are truly supported will they be able to go full steam ahead.

How else can middle leaders be supported? Write your idea in a comment below.

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Till next time…

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash