National leaders of further education
Find out about the role of national leaders of further education and how they support college improvement.
Applies to England
Overview
National leaders of further education are experienced serving college principals or college finance directors from good and outstanding colleges. They have a strong track record of delivering improvement both at their own colleges and through working with others.
National leaders of further education provide support and mentoring to colleges as part of the active support available to the further education sector.
As part of the programme, outstanding college leaders work with their peers to support improvement and secure the best possible outcomes for college learners.
The role of national leaders of further education
National leaders of further education determine how they deliver support and tailor their work to fit the needs of the colleges they are supporting. If appropriate, this could include involving other members of their college staff to provide support. They might, for example:
- work with the leadership team of the supported college to help identify improvement needs and potential sources of support
- work alongside the leadership team to support the delivery of specific improvement programmes, including contributing to the curriculum efficiency and financial sustainability support programme
- provide mentoring to members of the college leadership team
We match national leaders of further education, including finance specialists, to colleges that have requested support or where a need has been identified by the FE Commissioner.
Support from a national leader of further education is free.
Become a national leader of further education
Applications are currently closed.
Sign up for email updates about this page to find out when future recruitment rounds are launched.
What’s involved
Participation in the national leaders of further education programme offers college principals and finance directors the opportunity to:
- develop additional skills through leading improvement projects
- work with other national leaders of further education as part of an active improvement network
- transfer learning and experience back to their home college
- help colleges to attract good quality staff and build strong relationships with employers
National leaders of further education need to submit quarterly reports on the improvement support they have provided and its impact. They are also required to report on bursary spending at the end of each financial year.
We appoint national leaders of further education for up to 3 years. At the end of this period, they may be able to apply for re-appointment.
Eligibility
National leaders of further education must be serving college principals or finance directors from general or specialist further education colleges or sixth-form colleges in England with a rating of good or outstanding for both quality and financial health and which are not in intervention.
We’ll publish the full eligibility criteria and details of the assessment process as part of any future recruitment exercise.
What you’ll get
As part of their role, national leaders of further education receive training and development.
We provide your college with an annual bursary to cover costs associated with the national leaders of further education finance specialist role. The value of the bursary is £15,000 per annum.
Contact
Colleges wanting support from a national leader of further education should email fec.operations@education.gov.uk.
Email FE.Commissioner@education.gov.uk, if you have any questions about the national leaders of further education programme.
Updates to this page
Last updated 7 November 2022 + show all updates
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Information about becoming a national leader of further education finance specialist has been removed, as applications have now closed.
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Eligibility criteria and the application process on how to become a national leader of further education (NLFE) finance specialist added. NLFE application form and application deadline also added.
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Updated as applications are closed.
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Updated application guidelines including new recruitment round and added new application form.
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Updated application guidelines including the application open and closing dates and added the new application form.
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Page updated to reflect the application window is currently closed.
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First published.