Overview
Since its launch in 2016, the Cambridge Schools Leadership Programme has made a substantial impact on educational leadership. The programme has been pivotal in shaping the leadership of over 420 headteachers, educational leaders, and policymakers across the Delhi educational ecosystem, positively influencing over 42,000 teachers, and at a conservative estimate, more than one million students. Over 8 days, participants engage in face-to-face sessions that combine workshops from leading experts, school visits, and group discussions aimed at shaping effective leadership in schools.
The requirement
The Cambridge Schools Leadership Programme
Building on the foundation of leadership frameworks provided by Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education, the programme collaborates with the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Delhi, aligning with their shared goal of delivering intelligent innovation in educational leadership. As Atishi Marlena, the former Education Minister of Delhi, has emphasised, the government’s commitment to transforming education has not been without challenges:
When we first started improving Delhi government schools, people made fun of us… But despite all the political and administrative obstacles, the work done by the AAP-led Delhi government has been a landmark in Indian politics. It has successfully made education a political issue… This change will determine the future direction our country takes.
The programme aims to equip school leaders with the skills to adapt to rapidly changing educational landscapes. Leaders are trained to manage teams effectively and develop strategies that drive student outcomes. Intelligent innovation is emphasised, encouraging leaders not just to replicate past practices but to engage with partnerships across education, business, and industry.
Participants are exposed to key leadership models, such as those developed by Professor Jaideep Prabhu. His focus on frugal innovation demonstrates the importance of adapting leadership approaches to local challenges – doing more with less and developing cost-effective solutions that can have a significant impact on schools.
True leadership in education is about harnessing innovation that works within your constraints. By empowering educators to think creatively, we can develop solutions that not only address immediate challenges but also build sustainable systems for future generations.
The solution
Intensive and interactive learning
The Cambridge Schools Leadership Programme is designed to be intensive and interactive. Over 8 days, participants attend workshops, hear from expert speakers, and visit schools in the UK, witnessing leadership in action and observing best practice teaching at firsthand. These experiences allow them to reflect on how to implement new strategies and educational leadership approaches in their own schools.
As Dr Sue Brindley, University Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Cambridge and faculty on the programme, explains:
Leadership is a complex and fascinating area, so working on this programme is an exciting and energising activity. As well as bringing together some of the top speakers on leadership to share ideas and strategies, we have the opportunity to visit outstanding schools and talk to Heads, staff, and students to learn about their experiences. But this is not a one-way event. We also learn from our visiting colleagues who share their challenges and the solutions they have implemented, making this an energetic and interactive experience.
Participants map, select, and apply leadership skills in ways that are relevant to their unique school environments. The programme focuses on practical applications of leadership strategies to enhance engagement and improve student outcomes, developing environments where both teachers and students benefit from new, innovative approaches to learning.
The impact
A clear vision
Participants return to their schools with a clearer vision of how to manage change, lead teams, and implement innovative teaching approaches. By focusing on intelligent innovation, leaders are encouraged to develop real-world solutions to the challenges they face in their schools.
Leadership in the programme is framed around 4 key themes: self-leadership, managing teams, initiating change, and sustaining strategic vision. These themes enable school leaders to not only improve their personal leadership capacities, but also to develop the professional capital of their teaching staff, creating environments that promote collaboration and continuous learning.
The Cambridge Schools Leadership Programme has demonstrated its value in empowering educational leaders to redefine leadership practices in India. By integrating the principles of intelligent innovation and applying lessons from UK schools, the programme has helped leaders develop practical, evidence-based strategies that directly impact their schools and communities.
Through a combination of theoretical insight and practical application, the Cambridge Schools Leadership Programme continues to cultivate leaders prepared to meet the challenges of 21st-century education.
Schools directly reached
Teachers reached
Students impacted
Cohorts delivered
The emphasis on evidence as the heart of education is developed through the supported small-scale research projects that all participants engage with. Sharing these projects allows everyone to benefit from the research being undertaken. It is heartening to receive emails from colleagues after the programme ends and see how practice and thinking have been shaped by their experiences. Our network of Cambridge graduates has grown steadily, and we look forward to continuing to develop this further.
Custom programmes overview
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