Are you an experienced leader but without experience in SEND/AP?
Are you experienced in SEND/AP but less experienced in leadership?
This unique leadership development programme will give you the tools and expertise to succeed.
We are delighted to be working with the Staff College again to offer this comprehensive leadership programme.
Leading Change is designed for ambitious leaders who are keen to improve life outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or Alternative Provision (AP) requirements and their families.
As a partnership, we have successfully delivered several cohorts of this programme, nationally and in regions.
Real change in SEND requires a deep understanding of the fundamental nature of the complex, multi-faceted and richly interconnected challenge. This requires as much attention to cultural and behavioural transformation as it does to technical innovation. First and foremost, this is a challenge of leadership, shared values and collective moral purpose.
The Leading Change programme is designed to be a foundation for ongoing development for aspiring SEND leaders.
The programme is designed to:
- Provide a cohort of trained and supported SEND leaders nationally.
- Strengthen consistency of approach.
- Support succession planning.
- Promote intentional leadership across the country, creating proactive leadership capacity for SEND in each region that takes part.
This will increase professional pride, credibility, and trust across the SEND/AP community and boost life outcomes for SEND/AP children and their families.
In the longer term we want to enhance children and young people with SEND and their families’ experience of the support they receive and how it helps to improve their lives and life chances.
We particularly welcome applications from several colleagues in an area who would be keen to work on a leadership challenge together.
What previous leaders said
“It’s helped to challenge my thinking; share our journey and we’ve had lots of support along the way”
“Useful to explore so many current issues within our SEND world. Good to be with colleagues who have local knowledge and understanding.
“Wonderful opportunity to connect with others. Very thought-provoking.”
Programme details 2026
Two day orientation residential (in person), 14 – 15 October 2026 – Residential (In person)
- Gloriously Ordinary Lives
- The importance of lived experience
- Your personal leadership
- Resourceful and resilient leadership
- Action learning
- Personal leadership challenges
Mid programme workshop (in person), 12 November – Workshop 1 (In person)
- Working corporately and politically
- SEND and why its history matters
- Brave leadership
- Strategic triangles and authorising environments
Action learning set (online), 26 November 2026
- Details to be provided.
Two day end of programme residential (in person), 8-9 December 2026 – Residential (In person)
- Working across systems
- A focus on health
- Constellations
- Leaders and research (What Works in SEND)
- Presenting leadership challenges
- Inclusive leadership
- Storytelling
Location
All in-person sessions will take place at Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre, Birmingham.
Eligibility
This programme suits those with strategic SEND/AP responsibility within their local area, including:
- Local authority strategic leads for SEND
- Social care leads for SEND across children’s and adults services
- Strategic health leads as appropriate depending on role/focus of responsibility – ICB leaders, commissioners, DMO/DCOs
- Parent Carer Forum leads with responsibility for strategic development
- Young People Forum leads with responsibility for strategic development
- Leaders in schools, early years, MATs and further education
We are looking to pilot the inclusion of MAT or school cluster SEND leads to further support partnership working across the system. And, we would be happy to accept participants on the course where funding is available to support them.
Requirements
Applicants should demonstrate their commitment to:
- Continued professional development and the ongoing review of their professional skills and competencies.
- Deepening their understanding and practice of leadership and making behavioural changes that impact positively on those around them.
- Actively share learning from the programme with colleagues.
Costs
The cost of a place on the programme is £2795 + VAT.
In addition to the learning of the programme, this includes:
- Day delegate rates at each in-person event including refreshments.
- Overnight accommodation, breakfast and dinner at the orientation residential.
- Access to 360-degree feedback tool.
- Access to online learning platform.
How to apply
We recruit up to 30 participants per cohort.
Applicants will need to demonstrate how they meet the eligibility criteria by answering the questions in our online application form. They will also need to confirm that they have funding available along with the support of their sponsor.
Fill in the application form if you would like to apply for 2026.
The application and assessment process comprises:
- Completion and submission of the application process and sponsor nomination.
- Sifting and benchmarking of application forms.
- Feedback to candidates on request.
Sponsors
Potential participants will be expected to have their application supported by a line manager (ideally at assistant director or director level).
By sponsoring an application managers will commit to supporting their colleague actively throughout the duration of the programme.
About us
The Staff College
The Staff College was established to support the development of leadership and management capacity in local authorities and their Children’s Trust partner organisations and, through this, contribute to the improvement of locality services for children, young people and families. The Staff College seeks to:
- Develop current and future leaders, providing timely and appropriate CPD opportunities for all leaders within children’s services and partner organisations.
- Horizon scan and anticipate emerging challenges for local authorities and their partners.
- Support and lead on new developments to meet these challenges.
- Be instrumental in developing the “collective intelligence” of the children’s services community.
- Respond to systemic and organisational changes in children’s services.
Read more about the Staff College.
NDTi
We have over 30 years’ experience of recognising quality and good practice and challenging things when they’re not working. We have an established reputation for the delivery of high quality leadership programmes. Through our work, we are connected into a wide range of leadership examples including small and large organisations, different sectors, local, national and international delivery with providers, strategists and policy makers.
