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84% of senior school leaders are stressed*
Becoming a Headteacher or Principal is a career-defining moment—the sum of years of hard work and dedication to their career. But they often get knocked sideways by the pressure from stepping up and out of their comfort zone. Stress manifests itself in many forms. Your Headteachers are strong and capable, but it’s likely they won’t ask for help. They want to impress and not confess to feeling overwhelmed or out of their depth. You hired them because you believe in their abilities and saw their potential. But just as their success reflects your decision to employ them, their failure falls squarely on your shoulders. And that can be very public. An Ofsted rating can’t be hidden. Your already overflowing workload will get worse if your schools drop below ‘good’. Your time will be spent helping improve that school while your eye gets taken off the others under your Trust. The other outcome is outstanding. Outstanding for your schools and for you. When your Heads succeed, their school’s reputation soars. Parents and students are attracted to attend, which results in more funding and bigger budgets. But transitioning from being part of a team to leading a school is a momentous change and is harder for some than others. Becoming a leader doesn’t happen overnight. As new Heads, they’re hungry to learn and ambitious to make a difference. But they don’t want to make mistakes along the way. And that causes confidence issues and a spiral of self-sabotage. *Teacher Wellbeing Index 2022 |
Self imposed demands lead to self neglect |
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Of course, there’s pressure at the top of a school. Leadership is about understanding and owning that pressure before it owns you.
Headteachers aren’t alone. I’m sure you grab an unhealthy snack when you’ve ‘missed’ lunch or put in a few more hours on the weekend to hit a deadline.
Like many of us, they’ve allowed themselves to put their own needs at the bottom of a very long list.
Headteachers aren’t alone. I’m sure you grab an unhealthy snack when you’ve ‘missed’ lunch or put in a few more hours on the weekend to hit a deadline.
Like many of us, they’ve allowed themselves to put their own needs at the bottom of a very long list.
"Coaching, mentoring and professional development are vital ways to attract and retain senior-level staff."
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A review by the Education Endowment Foundation published in June 2023 suggests coaching, mentoring and professional development are vital ways to attract and retain senior-level staff.
Imagine the positive outcomes for a school led by a Headteacher who has absolute certainty about their unique leadership style. Couple that with a Headteacher who feels so supported that absenteeism is non-existent. Your budgets no longer get eaten up by 5-figure recruitment costs, and you can nurture the next generation of Heads who aspire to reach the top. When you give your new Headteachers the tools they need to grow in conviction and self-belief, they have the power to lead a high-performing school. The potential to transform your Heads is in your hands. |
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In 2014, I collapsed physically and mentally |
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I’d overloaded my body and mind with too much. I’d withdrawn from family and friends and invested every inch of myself into work.
‘No’ wasn’t part of my vocabulary. So the work kept piling on. And on. And on. Failure wasn’t an option, and neither was asking for help.
There wasn’t anyone I’d trust to ask anyway.
When the fog cleared, I had an epiphany.
If this could happen to me, how many others faced the same battle?
I was inspired to retrain as a transformational life coach. Shortly after, I qualified a Neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, NLP Coach and timeline therapy practitioner. Most recently, I completed my qualification as an International Coach Federation neuroscience coach.
Quite simply, applying all that knowledge transformed me into the leader I am today.
‘No’ wasn’t part of my vocabulary. So the work kept piling on. And on. And on. Failure wasn’t an option, and neither was asking for help.
There wasn’t anyone I’d trust to ask anyway.
When the fog cleared, I had an epiphany.
If this could happen to me, how many others faced the same battle?
I was inspired to retrain as a transformational life coach. Shortly after, I qualified a Neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, NLP Coach and timeline therapy practitioner. Most recently, I completed my qualification as an International Coach Federation neuroscience coach.
Quite simply, applying all that knowledge transformed me into the leader I am today.
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I’m Kath Curry. My corporate career was spent in education, learning and development.
I observed Headteachers from near and far and acutely identified with their struggles.
I spent almost 2 decades working at British Airways, with 12 years developing learning initiatives in the Community Education department. I connected the world of education with the world of business to create a pipeline of future talent. My job was to inspire young learners to gain the skills needed to work at BA.
I’ve led large-scale apprenticeship and graduate schemes for thousands of students and have been honoured with 4 awards for services to education.
EduLead was founded in 2017 with a crystal clear vision:
To see every school led by thriving leaders
Clients love that I offer a unique perspective and don’t carry baggage or make assumptions about a Trust or particular school. I’m not interested in the politics.
I focus on the individuals and help them become effective, happy and healthy leaders.
It’s a true privilege to have spent 7 years and thousands of hours working with Headteachers and their senior teams to bring positive mindsets and a dramatic shift in behaviours.
I observed Headteachers from near and far and acutely identified with their struggles.
I spent almost 2 decades working at British Airways, with 12 years developing learning initiatives in the Community Education department. I connected the world of education with the world of business to create a pipeline of future talent. My job was to inspire young learners to gain the skills needed to work at BA.
I’ve led large-scale apprenticeship and graduate schemes for thousands of students and have been honoured with 4 awards for services to education.
EduLead was founded in 2017 with a crystal clear vision:
To see every school led by thriving leaders
Clients love that I offer a unique perspective and don’t carry baggage or make assumptions about a Trust or particular school. I’m not interested in the politics.
I focus on the individuals and help them become effective, happy and healthy leaders.
It’s a true privilege to have spent 7 years and thousands of hours working with Headteachers and their senior teams to bring positive mindsets and a dramatic shift in behaviours.
Bringing a development plan to life
There’s a critical moment in a new role where the early excitement fades, and imposter syndrome kicks in.
When you learn how to harness that initial excitement and channel it into a clear leadership vision, magical things bubble up.
Negativity might rear its ugly head, but your Principals have the skills to quash it and focus on their plans.
When overwhelm starts to creep in, they have coping mechanisms in place and replace it with strategic ways to lead their team.
Over 7 months, I act as a guide to offer direction, support and pose challenges.
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I build deep connections, which allows me to push Heads with tough love wrapped in empathy and compassion.
They go on a journey that brings substantial change to their lives. They thrive from sharing successes and struggles with their peers and form solid and lasting relationships with other Heads from within and outside their Trust. Your time is finite. You can’t be in every school, every week. And when your Heads aren’t vocal about any issues or concerns, you only get alerted when things start to nosedive. Now, instead of wishing you had more hours in the day to devote to their development, you can choose to support them with the Powerful Principal® Programme. |
The Powerful Principal® Programme
I’ve spent over 2,000 hours coaching and mentoring senior educational leaders.
Over time it became apparent the challenges they deal with are universal:
- Lack of confidence in their leadership style
- Stress and anxiety created by mis-managing their mind
- Neglecting their physical health
- Neglecting their self-development
- Fire-fighting instead of strategic thinking
The Powerful Principal Programme was born from everything I’ve learned and direct feedback from countless 121 coaching sessions.
It’s a pioneering group programme for Headteachers in their first 3 years of Headship and focuses on developing high-performing, self-led leaders. |
Picture is for illustrative purposes only. Course is delivered on zoom
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A snapshot of what they will discover:
…Plus so much more.
As a result, you'll get a credible and confident Headteacher who creates a positive perception of your school and Trust.
- Who they are authentically as a leader
- How to reduce stress and anxiety and face challenges with ease and calm
- How to take responsibility by letting go of the "victim" and becoming the "creator"
- How to drop perfectionism and low self-esteem and replace them with confidence and conviction
- How to care for their physical bodies by nailing the Fab Four: Food, Fitness, fun and Forty winks
- Assess their competency against a comprehensive list of Headteacher responsibilities
- How to become a productivity master - no more missed meetings, unplanned agendas or overwhelm and lots more items ticked off the SDP/SIP
…Plus so much more.
As a result, you'll get a credible and confident Headteacher who creates a positive perception of your school and Trust.
The Powerful Principal® Programme
Module 1: Live sessions 1-3
Design Your Leadership Identity
Module 2: Live sessions 4-9
Mindset Mastery
Module 3: Live session 10
The Fab Four
Module 4: Live sessions 11-13
Taking Control
Module 5: Live sessions 11-13
Becoming Powerfully Productive
- 10 Headteachers in the first 3 years of Headship
- 20 hours of live sessions over 28 weeks, including training, coaching, mentoring and interactive exercises
- Guest speakers
- In-depth online modules for self-study and reflection to complement live sessions and reinforce the learning
- Forming lasting connections with other Heads from within and outside their Trust
- A personalised 360 feedback report based on 7 leadership criteria, with the option of a 121 session (subject to availability)
Module 1: Live sessions 1-3
Design Your Leadership Identity
- Understanding leadership identity and how it creates your reputation.
- Personality profiling and the links to your behaviour
- Values exploration and figuring out what matters to you
- Going deep on your BIG WHY?
- Exploring the power of emotional intelligence and building trusting relationships
- Creating a personal mission statement to set out your stall for who you commit to become
Module 2: Live sessions 4-9
Mindset Mastery
- Dissecting the 6 habits present in all high performers
- Learning how we generate anxiety and stress in our minds and how to reverse it
- Delving into the cycle of self-sabotage and the cycle of success
- Recognising our unhelpful lenses (perfectionism, brooding, blaming, mind reading & catastrophising) and how to remove them
- How to identify when we are creating unhealthy relationships and how to create positive ones instead
- The importance of self-care, self-worth and building self-esteem
- Using the power of visualisation to become the leader you aspire to be (with guest neuroscientist)
Module 3: Live session 10
The Fab Four
- Learning about the power and importance of food, fitness, fun and forty winks and creating sustainable change in these areas
- Guest speakers for the food and fitness sections
Module 4: Live sessions 11-13
Taking Control
- A personal analysis of your competencies against Headteacher responsibilities and standards
- Creating a long-term personal development plan
- Deep dive and self-analysis into your working habits
Module 5: Live sessions 11-13
Becoming Powerfully Productive
- Planning your time for maximum effectiveness
- Scheduling a complete academic year of cyclical activities in the calendar to leave space for strategic objectives
- Learn how to manage visibility, interruptions, emails, meetings, tracking objectives and the importance of discipline
- Crack the code for creating a high-performing team
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“I am the Deputy CEO for the BWMAT and can highly recommend Kath Curry’s Powerful Principal Programme.
I booked this course for 9 leaders new to headship last academic year. A number of these leaders had started their new role during COVID and therefore had yet to be part of an effective induction program.
The feedback I received from the leaders was very positive, and the differences I observed with many leaders was incredible. They had grown in confidence, had a better understanding of themselves and, therefore, as a leader, were better able to face the challenges that come with the job of Headteacher.
This training is some of the best leadership training I have experience of as it pushes people to dig deep and learn about themselves which impacts them as a leader.
As a result, I have already booked another 10 leaders to take part this academic year!”
Rachel Morgan, Deputy CEO
Bath & Wells Multi Academy Trust
You know leaders are made, not bornChoosing to support and develop your Headteachers reflects your own leadership.
You’re unafraid to break tradition and implement innovative methods to create change. When you’re secure with your decisions, the possibilities and direct impact on others is infectious. |
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IMPACT
**A highly motivated and committed individual who feels valued and respected**
**Good staff retention and a sense of optimism that spreads throughout the school**
**Reduced costs associated with absenteeism, presenteeism or resignations**
**High performance from your Head and their SLT, removing the added pressure and scrutiny your Trust faces from parents and the media**
**A connected community of Heads who can support and offer encouragement throughout the Trust, creating an incredible sense of belonging for all staff **
**Less risk-averse leaders who become more innovative**
**More students are attracted to the school resulting in more funding**
**Good staff retention and a sense of optimism that spreads throughout the school**
**Reduced costs associated with absenteeism, presenteeism or resignations**
**High performance from your Head and their SLT, removing the added pressure and scrutiny your Trust faces from parents and the media**
**A connected community of Heads who can support and offer encouragement throughout the Trust, creating an incredible sense of belonging for all staff **
**Less risk-averse leaders who become more innovative**
**More students are attracted to the school resulting in more funding**
“I didn’t expect to have to lead a school through two inspections, let alone do it with such success and praise from both SIAMS and Ofsted inspections on my leadership abilities. Despite not wanting to do the job to please external inspectors, having that praise from another source is powerful, and meant I was able to believe in my own abilities. I know it was in part due to what I was learning on the Powerful Principal Programme where I was able to put into practice my developing skills as a leader.”
Newly appointed Headteacher - Jo Baker-Brown, July 2023
“This year has taught me to realise that as a leader I stand by the judgements I make; I am doing things for the right reasons and to be more assertive (particularly with parents!) I have definitely become far more resilient as the year has progressed and put things into perspective.”
Kelly Barge, Primary School Headteacher, July 2023
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The Powerful Principal® Programme has been designed to ignite your new Headteachers and set them up for success within 6 months. |
Most start their transformation during the programme, so the results become evident each day as they put the tools they learn into action.
You might have considered the NPQH as a development option. Some of your Heads may have even taken part.
I’ve had several Headteachers join the PPP because they felt something was missing from the NPQH.
While it offers much technical skill support, it doesn’t focus on the human side of being a Head.
The PPP is the missing piece in Headteacher training.
It focuses on the person behind the Headship and seeks to build leaders from the inside out.
‘Fake it to make it’ doesn’t work at the top. Headteachers who participate in the PPP are successful because everything they do externally is driven by a core belief in their self-leadership skills.
The PPP sets them up for a balanced career and home life that’s fulfilling and rewarding.
The Programme offers 20 hours of group coaching, mentoring and teaching, with an additional 12 hours of private 1-2-1 sessions available for any Head who’d like to address specific issues in confidence.
The PPP costs over £300 less than the NPQH, so investing in more of your Headteachers can become a reality.
You might have considered the NPQH as a development option. Some of your Heads may have even taken part.
I’ve had several Headteachers join the PPP because they felt something was missing from the NPQH.
While it offers much technical skill support, it doesn’t focus on the human side of being a Head.
The PPP is the missing piece in Headteacher training.
It focuses on the person behind the Headship and seeks to build leaders from the inside out.
‘Fake it to make it’ doesn’t work at the top. Headteachers who participate in the PPP are successful because everything they do externally is driven by a core belief in their self-leadership skills.
The PPP sets them up for a balanced career and home life that’s fulfilling and rewarding.
The Programme offers 20 hours of group coaching, mentoring and teaching, with an additional 12 hours of private 1-2-1 sessions available for any Head who’d like to address specific issues in confidence.
The PPP costs over £300 less than the NPQH, so investing in more of your Headteachers can become a reality.
Securing the future of your schools
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The Powerful Principal® Programme costs £1,660 +VAT per Headteacher.
A £500 discount is available if you book all 10 spaces in a cohort. Your Headteachers spend significant hours working in isolation. That’s the nature of the role. But it means they struggle to find peer support or other Heads experiencing similar obstacles in their development. The PPP offers 20 hours of live group coaching, mentoring and learning. It helps to build lasting bonds between Trust Heads, so they benefit from the encouragement of their peers and can celebrate successes together. That continues long after the programme concludes. And it’s priceless. |
Group coaching builds human connection.
But sometimes, there’s a need to talk 121 and work through private or sensitive issues.
I offer 2 bookable 30-minute sessions if anyone wants to talk privately or cover any topics in more detail.
Most are happy with the group sessions and often bring up personal stories to share in that environment. I’ve found offering a private session allows those who feel more comfortable in that arrangement to offload and work through topics together.
This is offered at no extra charge.
I offer 2 bookable 30-minute sessions if anyone wants to talk privately or cover any topics in more detail.
Most are happy with the group sessions and often bring up personal stories to share in that environment. I’ve found offering a private session allows those who feel more comfortable in that arrangement to offload and work through topics together.
This is offered at no extra charge.
Only 20 places left for the January 2024 intake
To ensure everyone gets the attention they deserve, there is only capacity for 10 Headteachers in each PPP cohort.
This allows for free-flowing conversation, and everyone has ample time to engage.
1 cohort starts in November 2023, and ALL 10 spaces have already been reserved.
2 further cohorts start in January 2024. NOW is the time to invest in your Headteachers.
The programme works incredibly well for 10 Heads working under the same Trust, but it’s not a requirement.
This allows for free-flowing conversation, and everyone has ample time to engage.
1 cohort starts in November 2023, and ALL 10 spaces have already been reserved.
2 further cohorts start in January 2024. NOW is the time to invest in your Headteachers.
The programme works incredibly well for 10 Heads working under the same Trust, but it’s not a requirement.
I run the Powerful Principal® Programme twice a year, so after January, the next cohort won’t begin until November 2024.
Don’t let another 12 months pass by without a clear development plan you’re both committed to.
This is your moment to act and invest in your Heads. Allow them to thrive and start their journey to become the leaders you need them to be.
Don’t let another 12 months pass by without a clear development plan you’re both committed to.
This is your moment to act and invest in your Heads. Allow them to thrive and start their journey to become the leaders you need them to be.
“As an executive Headteacher, I found myself overwhelmed both at work and in my personal life. The Powerful Principal Programme has really helped me think and plan my time. I have just had the most productive week I’ve had in a long time. I would highly recommend this programme to anyone in a Principal’s position.”
Mandy Wilton, May 2022
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LET'S CHAT!
The PPP is the most effective way to transform and enhance the leadership of your Headteachers and your schools. Let’s talk through any questions you have over a call. If you’d like to connect with any of the Heads or other Trust CEOs who’ve experienced the PPP, I’m happy to introduce you. |
“Working with Kath has been transformational. Her approach is both inspirational and empathetic and her intense curiosity and attention to detail leads me to state that, without question, my work with Kath has had more impact on my practice than any other form of CPD I have engaged in. The impact of this work has been profound and has improved my life.”
Julian Morgan, Principal
Frequently Asked Questions
What results do you guarantee?
- Personal development work doesn’t work on guarantees. It is dependent on the leader putting in the required hours to work on themselves. But this isn’t a chore - it’s a positive action driven by a desire for improvement. They truly get out what they put in. I’ve not encountered any participant who hasn’t benefited from the programme. The ripple effect is key. A strong leader impacts all those around them and creates tangible change.
How many people work at EduLead?
- I’m the founder and lead coach, and I’m hands-on throughout the programme. I’m supported by guest coaches who bring their unique expertise, particularly in module 3 where we focus on exercise, diet, sleep and relaxation.
How many hours a week does the programme take and where does the training take place?
- 1.5 hours on Zoom every fortnight (excluding school holidays) from January 9th or 10th
- 1 hour of homework after every live session
- 500-1000 word final course essay/reflection
- Heads must attend 80% of the live sessions in person and watch any unattended sessions on demand, and complete 100% of the online self-study modules to pass
- Certificates are awarded on completion. Presentation of these in school can be arranged
What qualifications do you hold?
- BA (Hons) German with linguistics
- Transformational life coaching with Animas
- Qualified NLP coach
- Certified Practitioner Of Neuro Linguistic Programming
- Qualified Timeline therapist
- Diploma in neuroscience for coaches
- Basic Positive Quotient Coach training
Do you have a refund policy?
- I’m unable to offer a refund, but if a Headteacher can’t join due to illness or extenuating circumstances, you can select another Head to join before the Programme begins.
