Headship Next
Awarded to senior school leaders who have successfully completed Headship Next, a 12-month leadership development programme designed to build the confidence, skills and community needed to secure and sustain a first headship role. Participants engage with expert coaching, peer collaboration, a residential experience, and the Big 8 Leadership Toolkit, with a focus on leading with purpose in schools serving disadvantaged communities
Issued on 23 Apr 2026 by
TeachFirst
Issuer
TeachFirst
headshipnext@teachfirst.org.uk
Teach First is a registered charity working to end educational inequality in England and Wales. We recruit, train and support exceptional people into teaching and leadership roles in schools serving low-income communities, and develop programmes that build the leadership pipeline needed to make education work for every child, regardless of their background. Registered charity no. 1098294 | teachfirst.org.uk
Criteria
Completed all required programme elements across the 12-month Headship Next programme, including
- coaching sessions, collaboration sessions, and the two-day residential
- Engaged with the Big 8 Leadership Toolkit and online curriculum content across all three modules
- Participated in sessions with their Leadership Ally, including online meetups and a school visit
- Demonstrated active engagement with the Headship Next peer community
