The Department for Education is reviewing its support and coaching scheme for newly appointed headteachers in a bid to boost uptake, it has emerged.
Just 289 headteachers have made use of the early headship coaching offer (EHCO), which provides unassessed face-to-face support for new school leaders in their first five years of headship, despite a rebranding exercise and its eligibility criteria being widened in 2022, schools minister Nick Gibb has admitted.
In a parliamentary written answer, Mr Gibb said that low awareness of the scheme and a “perceived time commitment” have prevented wider take-up of the scheme.
He said the Department for Education is to review the content and structure of the programme following an initial probe of the eligibility criteria carried out in January.
Mr Gibb said the review had been ordered after the department conducted user research with EHCO participants and those taking the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) as well as lead providers who deliver both schemes, which include the Ambition Institute, Teach First and the National Institute of Teaching.
“Interviews with participants have highlighted that they value the practical support and guidance in the programme to undertake this new role and support them throughout,” wrote Mr Gibb.
“Lead providers have expressed positive feedback from their participants and are continuing to work to increase the awareness of the programme. Barriers to take-up include low awareness and perceived time commitment, especially by those anticipating completing the NPQH and the EHCO simultaneously,” he added.
Headteachers’ leaders said they welcomed the scheme but have called for it to be made available to all heads rather than just those who have, or are, undertaking the NPQH.
The EHCO was introduced in 2022 as a revamp of the additional support offer, which was introduced in 2021. Eligibility criteria were widened from those in the first two years of a headship role to those in the first five years.
The DfE said this was done to show the support offered by the programme “more clearly” as well as to increase take-up.
However, as of February 2023, just 289 participants have undertaken the offer according to Mr Gibb in response to a question from the Labour shadow schools minister, Stephen Morgan.
User research carried out by the DfE, and published in January this year, revealed that awareness of the 2022 National Professional Qualification (NPQ) reforms was “mixed”. It found that those in more senior positions were more likely to be aware of the reforms prior to starting their qualification and that, for some, the reforms influenced their decision to undertake an NPQ.
But it also found “some misconceptions and a lack of understanding of the target audience for the specialist NPQs”.
It recommended that “further communication regarding NPQs is required in order to raise awareness and resolve misconceptions”.
Ian Hartwright, head of policy (professional) at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “We broadly support the early headship coaching offer. However, we think it should be made more widely available. One way to boost take-up would be to extend eligibility of the offer to all heads, not just to those following an NPQH.”
And Sara Tanton, deputy director of policy at the ASCL, said: “We are supportive of the EHCO programme as we believe those new to headship benefit in particular from one-to-one support and peer networking.
“However, it is disappointing that the offer is not open to all new headteachers and is only available to those who are taking or have completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship. We do not think this should be a prerequisite to accessing valuable support of this kind.”
Mr Gibb said the department undertook a review of the EHCO in January 2023 to “investigate the eligibility criteria of the offer in order to expand the pool of participants and increase those that can be supported”.
“The second phase will include a wider review of the content of the EHCO to address barriers to take-up, including those mentioned above.”
The phase will focus on the level of coaching and/or mentoring available, the recruitment and management of mentors and coaches, the time commitment of the programme, and on different delivery models and communications, he added.
The DfE will look at how to update the EHCO alongside the full NPQ suite and expects to provide further information along with updating take-up figures later in the summer, Tes understands.
A DfE spokesperson said: “The professional development of teachers is very important and through our series of National Postgraduate Qualifications and our early headship coaching offer, we are helping teachers best prepare for leadership positions.”
