The core focus of the Lead Like a Champion Programme is around instructional leadership – leadership that promotes quality teaching and learning.

In this Programme Edufundi partners with the members of the School Management Team (SMT) to build their capacity to lead their school in a way that will improve learning. Our focus of building a strong SMT/school partnership is centred around the following objectives:

01

Objective 1

To create conditions within the school that enable effective teaching and learning.

02

Objective 2

To embed good practices throughout the school, thereby creating a school culture which includes routines, expectations, beliefs and values nurtured by the SMT in order to support openness to teaching ...

03

Objective 3

To build ownership and unlock agency, which is the ability of an individual or group to act on a situation and change it.

“Reflective practices made me think critically about myself, our school, my team and the community elements and how we can provide effective teaching and learning.”

Leadership Workshops

Two workshops – designed specifically for our participating School Management Teams – are held each year, followed by regular visits from the Edufundi Leadership Support Coach. These LLAC workshops run parallel to our TLAC Programme and focus on the following broad themes:

Year One

Building up the School Management Team

The foundation for a strong SMT is laid by examining the invisible aspects that guide school leadership teams, such as moral purpose, vision, mission and values. We support each SMT as they look at their own assets and explore ideas on how to enhance trust and work together as a team. We also introduce them to practical tools for effective developmental supervision.

Year One

Building up the School Management Team

The foundation for a strong SMT is laid by examining the invisible aspects that guide school leadership teams, such as moral purpose, vision, mission and values. We support each SMT as they look at their own assets and explore ideas on how to enhance trust and work together as a team. We also introduce them to practical tools for effective developmental supervision.

Year Two

Supporting our Teachers

In this phase we reflect deeply on leadership styles in a complex world. We revisit teacher supervision and support, and build this into the SMT’s timetable to ensure that there is meaningful, ongoing professional development for all staff. This includes fostering a supportive school culture and exploring how the SMT lives and practises their school values.

Year Two

Supporting our Teachers

In this phase we reflect deeply on leadership styles in a complex world. We revisit teacher supervision and support, and build this into the SMT’s timetable to ensure that there is meaningful, ongoing professional development for all staff. This includes fostering a supportive school culture and exploring how the SMT lives and practises their school values.

Year Three

Mindfulness and the Reflective Practitioner

Here we draw the distinction between leadership as a role, and leadership as practice. Using data to analyse school improvement, we revisit the school’s vision, mission and values. This allows us to reflect on the SMT’s own success in working as a team to improve teaching and learning, and to explore other ways of supporting the core – the teachers and learners.

Year Three

Mindfulness and the Reflective Practitioner

Here we draw the distinction between leadership as a role, and leadership as practice. Using data to analyse school improvement, we revisit the school’s vision, mission and values. This allows us to reflect on the SMT’s own success in working as a team to improve teaching and learning, and to explore other ways of supporting the core – the teachers and learners.

After completing the three-year LLAC Programme SMT members will be well-equipped to guide and support teachers as they strive to deliver excellent teaching and learning opportunities to all learners in their school. By the time they have completed the TLAC and LLAC programmes, Edufundi supported schools have a wide range of tools for unlocking the potential of learners, teachers and leaders alike.

The next step is to ensure that systems are in place to promote and support ongoing development once the school has graduated from the Programme. Since mentoring has been proven to be the most effective way of achieving this, this becomes the main focus.

MLAC is the programme Edufundi uses to train, develop and support our mentors. The same tools are offered to our graduating schools so they can set up their own in-house mentoring system.