About this qualification
Delivered by our partners at the National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE).
If you are a middle or senior school leader, or aspire to be one, this course could be ideal for you. Designed by experienced head teachers, it incorporates comprehensive leadership theories to encourage reflection on how your learning can enhance your professional practice.
Our course asserts that:
- The skills of effective leadership can be learnt and improved.
- There is no single, exclusive inherited leadership characteristic.
- By understanding and authentically applying the core principles of effective leadership, and responding appropriately to the context, a leader’s abilities can be enhanced.
Entry Requirements
In order to gain entry to the course you must:
- Hold an honours degree awarded by a higher education institution at a minimum of a second class (2:2) or equivalent professional experience.
- Be employed in a school or college for the duration of study and hold a leadership position such as Headteacher, Principal, Deputy Head, Assistant Head, or a middle management position such as Head of Department, Head of Year, or Head of House.
- Hold a Grade C or above GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics.
For more information about this course, entry requirements or your educational setting suitability, speak to our team.
English language requirements
IELTS: 6.5 or higher, with no component less than 5.5 (or equivalent), or TOEFL 600, or to have completed some of their education, for example, a degree, in English.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Qualification information
This Senior Leader Apprenticeship plus MA in Educational Leadership provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the principles underpinning excellent leadership, and the skills and confidence to implement them.
Delivered by experts from within education and across the economy, participants benefit from an extensive online resource library and best in class face-to-face delivery.
Inherently practical and delivered within your existing work commitments, the Senior Leadership Programme will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve as a Senior Leader.
Career Path
On successful completion of the course, you will have gained valuable knowledge and practical experience in educational leadership. You will have developed varied skills including strategic planning, staff management, curriculum development, policy implementation, and stakeholder engagement. You will have led a transformation project in your organisation and expanded your leadership skill set.
You will also gain Chartered Manager status (CMgr) and either Membership of (for those who attain a pass) or Fellowship of (for those who attain a distinction) the Chartered Management Institute. You will also attain the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship qualification and a Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership.
How you’ll be taught
Year One
In the first year, you will be presented with a clear set of values, behaviours, and approaches through the teaching of theory, key skills, central themes and fundamental principles of effective leadership. The online materials offer a rich and compelling narrative. They aim to explore theoretical and research-based evidence of effective leadership approaches, the importance of institutional culture and the needs of leaders and followers.
You will be presented with a variety of case study exercises that draw out the central themes. Critical evaluation and the development of effective, individual approaches are encouraged with the support of your university-assigned mentor.
Year Two
In the second and final year, there will be a strong emphasis on the leadership of teaching and learning. You will have the opportunity to study best practice research in teaching and learning, the professionalisation of teaching, the science of learning, and the practical implications of theory for classroom practice.
The course concludes with an opportunity for you to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to undertake an extended piece of individual Action Research which will show theory turning to practice through your dissertation. This dissertation is a project involving the leadership of change, drawing on the opportunities for educational leadership in your own context.
Modules - Year One
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 1
Leadership of Teaching and Learning
This module is designed to develop your ability to lead teaching and learning in a school setting and influence pupil outcomes. It will build expertise in the analysis of classroom performance, the science and theory of pedagogy and the development of teacher skills.
Module 2
Action Research Proposal
In this module, you will plan a substantive piece of individual research into leadership within your own context, applying theory to practice. You are supported with the additional research skills required, including online sessions on research methods and ethics in educational research.
Module 3
Action Research Proposal
Following the research proposal, you will implement your research project, investigating an area related to your professional practice. You will select an appropriate methodology, consider research design, methods and ethics. It should be presented in a written format to a master’s level, interpreting your findings and making recommendations for its implementation.
Modules - Year Two
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 1
Leadership of teaching and Learning
This module is designed to develop your ability to lead teaching and learning in a school setting and influence pupil outcomes. It will build expertise in the analysis of classroom performance, the science and theory of pedagogy and the development of teacher skills.
Module 2
Action Research Proposal
In this module, you will plan a substantive piece of individual research into leadership within your own context, applying theory to practice. You are supported with the additional research skills required, including online sessions on research methods and ethics in educational research.
Module 3
Action Research Project
Following the research proposal, you will implement your research project, investigating an area related to your professional practice. You will select an appropriate methodology, consider research design, methods and ethics. It should be presented in a written format to a master’s level, interpreting your findings and making recommendations for its implementation.
We regularly review our qualification content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, qualification modules may be updated.
How you’ll be assessed
This course is assessed through various methods, depending on the module, including:
- Case study research
- Online discussions
- Written responses to real-life situations
- Longer written projects on ‘The Nature of Leadership’ and ‘The Leadership of Teaching and Teachers’
At the end of the programme, you will undertake an End Point Assessment (EPA) process, which leads to the Senior Leader Apprenticeship. This assessment period lasts up to 5 months and includes:
- Strategic business proposal and presentation with questioning
- Professional discussion, underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
The EPA is graded Fail, Pass, or Distinction. The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures fair assessment and monitors student progress towards learning outcomes.
Fees & Funding
Student
Full-time
Part-time
UK
Not available
Apprenticeship levy funded
Levy-paying organisations in England can draw down funds from the Apprenticeship Levy to cover the full course fee of £14,000 including residentials. No course fees are paid by either the student or levy-paying schools.
A university bursary of 100% of the course fee is available to those wishing to include the MA Educational Leadership.
Additional costs not included in the levy are:
- Travel to and from the two 3-day residentials in Milton Keynes.
