A new course is aimed at helping school leaders tackle challenges in education.
The course is available through the Leader Connect portal from January and was developed by Barrow-born Glyn Potts MBE, former head teacher of Newman RC College in Oldham.
It is designed to offer support and guidance to leaders across the UK as they navigate complex and demanding school environments.
Neil Jurd recording with Glyn Potts at King Sound Studio (Image: victoria sedgwick)
Neil Jurd OBE, founder of Cumbria-based Leader Connect and a former British Army officer, said: "Executive coaching is an increasingly widespread and cost-effective way to empower school leadership teams, addressing multiple challenges in education including staff recruitment and retention, improving pupil behaviour and educational outcomes.
"I have no doubt this course Glyn has recorded for Leader Connect will have huge value and utility for heads, deputy heads, assistant heads, CEOs of academy trusts and school boards across the UK."
Neil Jurd recording with Glyn Potts at King Sound Studio (Image: victoria sedgwick)
The course is intended to help heads, deputies and senior teachers and school board members overcome challenges in education, such as feelings of inadequacy or succumbing to burnout, and to ensure that young people are not being failed or going unrecognised by the UK education system.
Mr Potts said: "I recognised 'oh my word', no-one has ever spoken to me about this [leadership] - I have just been appointed as a head teacher, and they never asked about that!"
"Our 'north star' was we used our vocation of teaching to give an unfair advantage to our young people, leaving no door closed to them."
He emphasised the importance of speaking out on issues that directly affect pupils, and using his position to advocate for students and staff -- even when it meant challenging government policy.
Neil Jurd recording with Glyn Potts at King Sound Studio (Image: victoria sedgwick)
Mr Potts said: "I didn't agree with every policy that the government was putting out, and my job was to be the mouthpiece for my children and my staff.
"And if that meant I was going to rail against institutions, then I was quite comfortable doing that.
"But I was only going to speak out if it directly impacted on the issues that my children were facing."
Despite some initial pushback for speaking in the media about issues including child sexual exploitation, or vapes, drugs and knives in school, he said parents, staff and fellow leaders eventually recognised the need to address difficult topics.
Neil Jurd recording with Glyn Potts at King Sound Studio (Image: victoria sedgwick)
He added: "I firmly believe the position I took on these issues helped me to recruit staff. They came because it inspired them to take up the challenge; it was this school and this culture they wanted to be part of."
Leader Connect was founded by Mr Jurd to make high-quality leadership training accessible and relevant across sectors, including education.
The organisation has recently begun working with Dallam School in Milnthorpe, delivering Institute of Leadership-certified training to the school's senior leadership team.
Dallam has already reported positive results, with a 25 per cent increase in staff confidence in leadership and improvements recorded across all departments.
Leader Connect also delivers coaching to universities and multi-academy trusts, including the University of Sheffield, SOAS University of London, Bright Futures Educational Trust, and Abingdon Learning Trust.