What We Do
Empowering Future Leaders
At Leadership in Schools Ltd, we recognise the need for high quality leadership training in education. We facilitate leadership development for leaders at every level in schools, using the Resilient Leaders Elements leadership framework. Our transformational programmes are designed to help you achieve a balance between who you are and what you do in your role as a school leader.
4,400
Self-assessments completed by leaders
Worldwide
RLDP® Users
30+
Successful Schools
Step into your leadership power!
Listen to our coach and facilitator Vicki explain why we created the Leadership in Schools Powered by RLE programmes and how they will transform your leadership.
Who and What is a Resilient Leader?
A Resilient Leader
- knows where they are strong and their areas for development
- knows what takes them from pressure to stress and how to rebalance
- has confidence in who they are and what they do so they can create, build and take opportunities, bouncing back, knowing they will find a way through uncertainty, change and even crisis.
What We Do: Unlock Your Leadership Potential
We empower and guide CEOs, executive heads, headteachers, and senior, middle and aspiring leaders to enhance their leadership capabilities.
Our unique Resilient Leaders Elements framework guides leaders to create a leadership presence that aligns with their values.
Engage in a 6, 12 or 18-month programme focused on awareness, clarity of direction, and resilient decision-making.
When you participate in a Leadership in Schools programme, we walk by your side, engaging with us is not "another thing" to add to your to do list.
Balance Who You Are as a Leader with What You Do
Our Leadership in Schools Programmes Powered by RLE facilitate your holistic development as a leader. Whilst other school leadership qualifications focus mainly on theory, research and what you do in your role as a school leader, our programmes help you to learn about who you are as a leader as well as developing what you do and they are grounded in theory and research and more than 20 years of delivery in different sectors and organisations worldwide.
Awareness
Focusing on awareness of self, others and environment will ensure you develop an appreciation of your own and others' motivations, cultures, strengths and weaknesses and support you to use this knowledge to adapt to the forces that affect your changing environment.
Clarity of Direction
Focusing on strategic intent, unifying purpose and determination will ensure you are able to create a clear vision and a realistic strategy for the future, communicate effectively to align people to your vision and remain determined to keep going in the face of adversity
Leadership Presence
Focusing on being authentic, intentional and serving will ensure you are able to true to yourself, your values and ethical code, understand that you are in service to others and bring a focus and bias for achievement to you team, organisation and others around you
Resilient Decision Making
Focusing on being robust, creative and versatile in your decision making will ensurse you are able to take a valuable idea from concept to reality, challenging your own and others biases and considering the impact, pace and style of your decision making
What We Do:
Our Transformative Approach to Holistic Leadership
All of our programmes include facilitated learning sessions, personalised coaching, group facilitation sessions, and practical application to ensure long-term success. We offer bespoke programmes to suit the needs of your organisation or team.
From September 2025 we are offering an open programme on our Level 2 and 3 programmes.
Level 1: Preparing to Lead
A 6 month programme to support aspiring leaders to
- learn about the essential skills and resilience needed to thrive as a school leader
- increase understanding of self-awareness and emotional intelligence essential to leadership
- explore the core elements of resilient school leadership
- explore scenarios and practise tackling the complex issues facing educational leaders
Level 2: Leading Others
A 12 month bespoke programme to support middle leaders to
- develop appreciation of your own and others' motivations, cultures, strengths and weaknesses
- build strong relationships in small teams
- communicate with clarity
- develop strategies for goal setting and action planning
- learn how to provide constructive feedback and manage conflict effectively
- identify and remain focused on strategic priorities in adverse times
- develop strategies for overcoming obstacles and setbacks
Level 3: Leading Within the Organisation
An 18 month programme to support senior leaders and headteachers to
- develop an understanding of the whole school environment, in order to make informed decisions, anticipate future challenges and plan for contingencies
- develop a clear sense of purpose, and cultivate the resilience needed to persevere through challenges
- build authentic relationships, and lead with integrity, fostering trust and respect with all stakeholder groups
- identify and implement innovative solutions to school challenges
- foster a learning environment that embraces change and innovation
Level 4: Leading Organisations
An 18 month programme to support executive heads and CEOs to
- develop a shared vision and strategic plan for all of the organisations in your cluster or trust
- lead change effectively and manage complex school systems at organisational level
- ensure effective communication and collaboration across the cluster/trust
- create a positive and inclusive organisational culture
- build leadership capacity at all levels of the wider organisation
Who We Are
All of our facilitators and coaches at Leadership in Schools Ltd are ex-teachers and school leaders with many years experience working in and with schools.
Our programmes have been developed by school leaders for school leaders. This means they're not just theoretical concepts – they're born from real-world experience. Developed by a team of highly experienced educators, including ex-deputy headteachers, headteachers, and executive heads.
Our leadership programmes are grounded in the practical realities of running a school. We understand the daily challenges, the strategic complexities, and the unique pressures facing school leaders because we've been there. This practical foundation is made even stronger by being based on the Resilient Leaders Elements, a proven framework for developing key leadership competencies.
Our team consists of highly-qualified and experienced current and ex-school leaders and headteachers from a variety of contexts within education. With many years of experience in education, they have the expertise to deliver exceptional experiences on all of our programmes.
Jacqui Frost
Jacqui spent twenty eight years in primary education, sixteen as a headteacher in four different schools. She was also an OFSTED inspector as a serving headteacher. Her passion was making a difference in challenging schools. Since January 2017, she has been a leadership coach, working with leaders and teams across many different settings. She is an ACC ICF accredited coach
Vicki Maguire
As an assistant and deputy head, Vicki recognised that the power of an organisation is in the relationships that are cultivated. This has fuelled her passion to work with leaders to create connection and collaboration. Vicki created and now produces and presents the We Lead Well podcast on which she chats with guests who share their leadership wisdom.
Jo Stanley-Bell
As a Headteacher, Jo set up an Academy Trust after seeing a ‘different way’ of giving children a better education. She became their Director of Education and used her expertise in leadership to develop the RLE Programmes across five schools. Her passion is to enable schools to have the best leadership they can. As a type 1 diabetic for most of her life, Joanne understands the need to balance the demands of a career.
Julia Hancock
Julia is an ICF ACC coach, who has facilitated coaching for over 30 years. Julia began her coaching practice after successful career in banking and education
leadership with over 14 years’ experience as a headteacher.
Julia is also an accredited Lego® Serious Play® facilitator and is also an accredited supervisor, specialising in Reflective Supervision in Education.
Cath Bufton-Green
Cath has 29 years of positive influence and impact on young people, staff and school communities. She has worked within the state and independent sectors and has fifteen years’ experience as a Head Teacher across four settings. During her years as a Head Teacher, she helped seven senior leaders be successful with their own journeys to Headship.
Nicky Bright
Nicky’s educational leadership spans 30 years in a variety of schools in the state and independent sectors, with 13 years in boarding, and eight years as Head. As an ICF ACC coach it is these experiences, and her deep curiosity about people and ideas, that shape her passion to support leaders in a sustainable lifelong learning journey.
Steph Carlin
Stephanie has over a decade of secondary school teaching and leadership experience. As an ICF ACC coach, Lego® Serious Play® facilitator and TIFF©Provider Stephanie uses her experience to support schools and leadership development, her particular passions are improving communication and wellbeing within leadership teams and school cultures.
Clare Cheetham
With 25 years of education experience, including as a headteacher and school improvement partner, Clare specialises in leadership training and development and headteacher mentoring and support. Clare guides and challenges school leaders, enabling them to reflect, stay focussed and perform to the best of their ability.
What do leaders say about who we are and what we do?
Testimonials
The Leadership in Schools programme has been an invaluable experience, providing me with on-the-job support to tackle real challenges and find practical solutions. It has encouraged me to explore alternative ways of handling situations, helping me develop new perspectives and approaches. With a strong focus on current priorities, the programme is tailored to fit seamlessly into my role, making the learning immediately relevant and applicable. The support and guidance from Vicki and Jacqui have been incredible, creating a positive and encouraging environment that has truly helped me grow as a leader.
I have never had coaching sessions before, so was a little apprehensive about having to be involved in them. This feeling soon left me within the first few minutes of my first session with Vicki. Vicki is a fantastic coach - very professional in her approach. She has coached me over the past 18 months and supported me through my highs and lows. When I was at my lowest, Vicki spotted the signs immediately and was able to coach me through managing my emotions and helping me form practical strategies to help me move on - she made sure I had a realistic plan to move forward before the session ended. Putting her suggested plans into action always worked. Coaching sessions with Vicki were always sessions I looked forward to and took seriously - I soon realised, I would get a lot out of these sessions if I was prepared to put a lot in. Thank you Vicki, it is thanks to you and your support that I am finishing this course on a really positive note - you have helped me develop both professionally and personally. I feel ready to be a much more confident leader in my approach thanks to you.
Jacqui was a pleasure to work with. Her experience is doubtless and this gave me the confidence to speak openly and honestly about about my experience and challenges. She helped me to acknowledge what I'm doing well and supported me as unpicked some difficult issues for myself. I felt supported and Jacqui's approach facilitated our work together. I would highly recommend Jacqui's support to others.
Resilient Leaders Elements has worked with organisations to build resilient leadership worldwide
From banking to the military, RLE has supported organisations to develop world class leaders.
Transforming Schools Through Resilient Leadership
All of our programmes provide strategies for
managing stress and maintaining work-life balance
creating a supportive and inclusive culture
- promoting well-being and resilience
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