“I was drawn to this course over others due to the practical aspect of assessment as well as the theoretical. Actively applying and considering the theoretical content on a week-by-week basis has already proven to be a fantastic way of developing my own practice.”
From SENCOs to heads of year, from designated teachers to senior leaders, from teachers to pastoral staff, the Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s in Inclusive Educational Leadership is already attracting all manner of education professionals.
Launched last term, it has been created by Inclusion Expert, whose founder Daniel Sobel is a long-time contributor to SecEd’s best practice pages.
The course offers a one-year Postgraduate Diploma (consisting of four Modules, each ending in a medium-sized essay).
There is then the option to take on an additional year, turning your qualification into a Master’s. The Master’s year is delivered in partnership with the University of Buckingham and includes a dissertation.
Assessment of the course – which has been co-constructed with virtual school headteachers and desginated teachers – is divided into 60 per cent academic (essays) and 40 per cent practical (reflections, portfolio of evidence and discussions with course leaders).
Such a focus on practice is unusual in Master’s level courses and this element in particular has Mr Sobel excited: “The bit my team and I are excited about is that 40 per cent of this program is practical. This means we are accrediting their current work practice. This is unique. Not other education post grads are doing this as far as I am aware.
“This saves a lot of writing hours, it celebrates the work they are already doing, and you cannot pass this course without either being or becoming a really good practitioner (unlike pretty much all other courses).”
The first cohort of students began the course in September. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is currently running online, which Mr Sobel said was “working well so far”. He is expecting around 300 more enrolments this term, with around 1,000 more this coming September.
To get onto the course, a first degree is required and so far those signing up have mainly come from primary and secondary schools, although with some from early years, hospital schools, prison education, special schools and PRUs. Mr Sobel said that in many cases designated teachers are able to access funding for the course from their virtual school headteachers.
PG Diploma
In the first year, professionals taking the course will take four modules:
- Leading people and organisational change.
- Leading on upskilling staff in social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) pedagogy.
- Leading on transformative change for vulnerable students
- Innovate and lead other settings
Each module is accompanied by a serious of lectures delivered by academics and practising leaders. Topics include, for example:
- Inclusive leadership.
- Understanding people you lead.
- Cultural shift.
- Whole-school reviews.
- Handling anxiety in the school.
- What teachers need to know about bereavement.
And each module will culminate with an essay:
- Essay 1: Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles. To what extent do you agree with this statement from Kotter? How would a leader cope when the followers do not align with that vision?
- Essay 2: A leaderis best when people barely know [s]he exists, when their work is done, their aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves (Lao Tse). How true is it to say that the effectiveness of a school leader can be measured in the way in which they have developed their staff?
- Essay 3: What are the challenges facing a pastoral leader, acting as an advocate for the vulnerable, and discuss the possible solutions that would work in your own setting?
- Essay 4: To what extent do you believe that Leadership is the most complex of all the transferable skills that you will develop to be successful in a range of educational contexts? Of what value is an outsiders’ view in evaluating the effectiveness of leadership?
SEMH bonus material
During the second module, students also have the chance to complete and share a number of SEMH online courses with their schools. Mr Sobel explained: “The idea is to train as many teachers as possible with the practical pedagogy skill to include the most challenging and vulnerable children. This is taken from the award-winning Inclusion Expert Platform and is included in the cost of the Master’s programme.”
The SEMH modules include:
- Promoting resilience in the classroom
- Behaviour as communication
- Attachment in the classroom
- Advanced listening skills
- How to support a student in crisis
Master’s
During the second year, students receive support from the University of Buckingham. They are required to write a Master’s Dissertation in the third term.
Pricing
Mr Sobel says that this is the cheapest Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s available in both the UK and abroad. The diploma costs £1,900, while the Master’s costs £4,900.
Testimonials from the September 2020 cohort
Naomi Walker: “I was drawn to this course over others due to the practical aspect of assessment as well as the theoretical. Actively applying and considering the theoretical content on a week-by-week basis has already proven to be a fantastic way of developing my own practice in leadership as well as supporting others.
“It addresses key challenges and considerations for all striving towards effective and inclusive leadership within education. Lectures and seminars are flexible and work around the demands of the day-to-day challenges of work. Assessments are relevant and thought provoking and staggered throughout the year. Its flexible approach enables me to balance workload with personal professional development.”
Aaron Denton: “I joined the course to be able to raise the importance that pastoral leaders play in the educational setting. Education is not just about formal qualifications, it is about character-building and wraparound support. I also joined to enable me to learn from other leaders within a similar role, but at diverse settings.”
Karen O’Hara: “I joined because I want to make a difference in the school I’m working in where we are getting increasingly higher numbers of pupils joining us with SEMH. The course sounded like the perfect balance of theory alongside the opportunity to reflect on practice. I’m looking forward to being able to share the great course content and my learning with my school colleagues.”
Sarah-Jane Green: “I enrolled upon this course as I have a passion to help emotionally vulnerable children and to encourage the rest of our staff in this area. The course leaders are very kind, realistic and extremely inspiring. I liked the sound of the practical and relevant assignments, webinars and practical work in school. Linking with other professionals is very exciting too. I am thoroughly enjoying it already.”
Further information & applications
- The latest deadline for applications to the Master’s in Inclusive Educational Leadership is January 20. For more details, visit http://inclusionexpert.com/inclusive-leadership-uk/
- There is also a dedicated site for designated teachers at https://inclusionexpert.com/designated-teacher-qua...