Next Practice in System Leadership - the early process

This, the first of The Innovation Unit Next Practice projects, is seeking to develop practice which will provide radical new approaches within the emerging trend in education of Next Practice in System Leadership. The Innovation Unit is working closely with the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) to deliver this project.

The project, which was originally called Leading Beyond a Single Institution, has been running since September 2005. We visited a number of potential field trial sites and in July, we announced the selected field trials for this project, which began work in September 2006.

1. Horizon Scanning - Domains of focus

Scanning the horizons of current practice in the area of Next Practice in System Leadership, we narrowed our focus to four critical areas which we are calling 'domains'.

• Leadership of institutions which deliver or provide access to multiple services.
• Leadership of programmes which enable personalised and extended opportunities for 14-19.
• Leadership of 'chains', 'franchises', developed federations or formal networks of schools.
• Leadership of learning which takes place outside formal institutions (such as supported home-based learning or part-time schooling which involves new technology).

2. Mobilisation

In mid-November 2005, we assembled a group of the country's most innovative leaders in education with the aim of thinking imaginatively about the possibilities of leadership beyond a single institution. Conversation was focused by the question: which models of leadership should schools of the future embrace? Challenge to our assumptions and provocation to our thinking was offered by four outstanding leaders from beyond the sphere of education.

Take a look at the event programme

See the presentation given by Valerie Hannon (Director, The Innovation Unit) about the project's rationale.

3. Generating Creative Options

In January 2006, over 100 school leaders met together for 24 hours at a creative event at NCSL in Nottingham to generate ideas for Next Practice field trials. We committed to making these ideas open source - as we wanted a larger group than those we had met so far to consider implementing Next Practice.

4. Field Trials

This document sets out the process for submitting Statements of Intent for field trials. It also offers some possible Next Practice field trial ideas. The document was circulated to every Local Authority, sent directly to a database of over 400 school leaders, and was publicised via e-newsletters and our website. We received over 50 Statements of Intent.

Next Practice in System Leadership: Identification of Next Practice field trials

In April and May 2006, we visited 30 potential Next Practice field trial sites. The potential field trial sites then developed their proposals, with our support, which were submitted to us at the end of June. In early July, we identified the sites which are now undertaking Next Practice field trials, and in October, we held the Next Practice in System Leadership National Launch and Exchange event, with representatives for the 16 field trial sites to kick off 18 months of supported collaborative working and knowledge sharing.

Download a summary of the Next Practice in System Leadership field trials

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