The education system is facing a leadership crisis, with many head teachers feeling pushed out of the profession. When we funded HeadsUp4HTs in 2020, research revealed that 23% of headteachers were likely to leave the profession within two years, citing high stress levels, particularly during the pandemic. It is vital that these leaders have support to embrace new ways of leading young people, to be nurtured in their roles and encouraged to remain in the profession.

To address this critical issue, InspirEDucate’s HeadsUp4HTs programme is creating a transformative national network of headteachers and education leaders. This network is designed to provide a supportive environment where leaders coach one another, are nurtured in their roles, and are empowered to embrace innovative approaches to educating young people.

The HeadsUp4HTs programme will cultivate a network of "positive disruptors" - leaders equipped to advocate for meaningful change within their schools and communities. Its leadership development programmes will focus on ethical leadership, emotional intelligence, educational vision, change leadership and peer coaching support. Ultimately developing the leadership skills that will enable leaders to flourish and lead change in the system, and to be the kind of leaders that they want to be.

Big Change is proud to have backed InspirEDucate in 2020 to develop and launch the HeadsUp4HTs programme for school leaders.

HeadsUp4HTs is a network that provides peer spaces and safe spaces for headteachers to share their experiences, without judgement, and to receive support, guidance, and connection with other like-minded school leaders. The programme offers vital coaching, peer support programmes with multi-academy trusts and local authorities, crisis support, as well as inspirational events to bring people together.

Since being funded by Big Change in 2020, the HeadsUp4HTs membership network has grown by 700%. The number of active members who have received one-to-one coaching, peer support sessions and who write for the website has increased five-fold. HeadsUp4HTs has also formed partnerships with the National Governance Association to create a guide for governing board chairs and headteacher development.

While the data and recognition speak for themselves, headteachers have also confirmed the transformative impact of HeadsUp4HT’s work.

James is the Founding Director of InspirEducate and Whole Education’s Executive Director for Schools and Trust, with over 16 years of school leadership experience. James founded HeadsUp4HTs in 2020, and the network has grown from a grassroots to a proactive community of thousands of headteachers and leaders, local authorities and MATs who celebrate and campaign for the profession.

James describes himself as an accidental teacher and a deliberate leader, realising that through school leadership he could work alongside others to deliver a vision for education. He is passionate about education, learning and leadership and believes in the power that education has to inspire young people and transform lives.