Induction support for newly- appointed heads is unsatisfactory or poor in just under half of LEAs, while only a quarter of headteachers provide enough help to colleagues pursuing the National Professional Qualification for Headship.

The Government is consulting on making this award compulsory for everyone appointed to their first headship from 2004. But while HMI found good quality training on this and the two other national programmes, they felt Headlamp (for new appointees) and the Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers (for more experienced colleagues) failed to build on the NPQH.

Nonetheless, the quality of leadership and management continues to improve, and is good or better in around three-quarters of schools. But there is not yet proof that the leadership programmes have contributed to this trend.

More differentiated training is needed to meet the different needs of secondary, primary and special heads, said HMI, in a report based on school inspections and previously unpublished findings on NPQH, Headlamp and LPSH. Management training should focus on the needs of leadership teams as well as individual heads, they add.

The National College for School Leadership, which is responsible for the three programmes, is already developing a fourth programme for middle managers.

The college is also working on specialised programmes for small schools and special schools, encouraging the development of networks of schools which develop and share good practice in leadership, and setting up evaluation procedures.

The developments were welcomed by John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads’ Association, who said that the recent revision of the NPQH would make it easier for heads to give more support.

Leadership and Management Training for Headteachers, HMI 457, see www.ofsted.gov.uk