Accelerate to Headship Self Assessment Questionnaire

Welcome

Welcome to the self assessment questionnaire for the new Accelerate to Headship programme. As well as giving you insight into the programme, the tool will help you to decide whether this development route is the right one for you.

This questionnaire is not part of the selection process for Accelerate to Headship. It is an opportunity for you to find out more about yourself, the programme and whether this could be your next step towards becoming a headteacher.

Please discuss all feedback from this questionnaire with your manager before taking any further steps towards applying for the programme.

Introduction

Accelerate to Headship is designed to help you move quickly into headship, via the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), in 4 - 5 years.

What we are looking for

The National College is looking for highly motivated, talented people who are committed to making a difference within education and are passionate about leading others to improve the lives of children.

Whether you are an experienced teacher or have leadership experience in another career, you will need the focus, ability and enthusiasm to become a head within the next 4 - 5 years, and the motivation to do it in an intense, stretching environment.

How to use this questionnaire and feedback

This questionnaire is designed to help you decide whether to apply for Accelerate to Headship so please answer honestly. It is not part of the selection process. We recommend that you talk through the feedback with your manager before applying.

Please note: you will not be able to save or download your responses to this questionnaire. We suggest that you print a copy of your feedback when prompted.

Thank you for your interest in the Accelerate to Headship Programme.

Sections of the questionnaire

The questionnaire is split into five sections:

The basics
Breadth and depth of experience
Energy and enthusiasm about these experiences
Suitability for a programme of intense, accelerated learning
Work preferences

In sections two and three, you will respond to a set of ten statements. These are the same in each section, although you will be asked to answer them in a different way:

Section two: Your experience
Section three: Your energy and enthusiasm
Section four: Your approach to learning
Section five: Your approach to working in schools

The questionnaire should take around 10 minutes to complete. Please click below to start the questionnaire.

1. The Basics

Please answer each question Yes or No

I want to become a head teacher within 4-5 years	Yes	No
I have considered what a headship role will look like and demand of me	Yes	No
I have some understanding of what is involved in the Accelerate to Headship programme	Yes	No
I have considered the impact that the programme will have on my current role and the level of commitment I will need to make	Yes	No

1. The Basics - Feedback

Thank you for completing section one of this questionnaire. As you have not answered 'yes' to all four statements, it may be that Accelerate to Headship is not the right option for you at the moment. Take time to do some more research and reflect on whether it is something you really want to commit to, using the resources of the National College website to help you. Alternatively you may want to explore other developmental opportunities from the National College, such as the Leading from the Middle.

Once you feel you can answer 'yes' to all four statements, you will be able to complete the whole self-assessment questionnaire and reassess whether Accelerate to Headship is right for you.

1. The Basics - Options

Your responses suggest that you have taken time to consider your options and are interested by the prospect of accelerating to headship.

Accelerate to Headship options

You have two options when applying to the Accelerate to Headship programme - the Tomorrow's Heads route or the Future Leaders route. To find out which option may be more suitable for you, please complete the following questions:

Do you have qualified teacher status?	No	Yes

Your response suggests that the Tomorrow’s Heads route may be the best option for you. If you decide to apply, your Head will need to endorse your application before it is considered, so we recommend discussing this further with them beforehand.
Do you want to be a head in a primary or secondary school?	Primary	Secondary

Your response suggests that the Tomorrow’s Heads route may be the best option for you. If you decide to apply, your Head will need to endorse your application before it is considered, so we recommend discussing this further with them beforehand.
Do you want to be a head in a challenging urban school?	No	Yes

Your response suggests that the Tomorrow’s Heads route may be the best option for you. If you decide to apply, your Head will need to endorse your application before it is considered, so we recommend discussing this further with them beforehand.
Future Leaders or Tomorrow’s Heads, depending on your needs and circumstances. Further research should help you decide which route is right for you.

The feedback from this questionnaire will help you decide whether you wish to apply for Accelerate to Headship, and challenge you to reflect on your strengths and development areas. Please click Next to continue with the questionnaire.

2. Breadth and Depth of Experience

Think about the kinds of leadership experiences you have had in your career so far.

Consider the next 10 statements against the folowing question:

To what extent do you...?





Rarely	Sometimes	Often

3. Energy and Enthusiasm

Please reflect on your levels of passion, commitment and energy when considering the 10 statements below.

Consider each of the 10 statements against the question:

To what extent are you energised at the thought of having to...?





Rarely	Sometimes	Often

4. Learning Approaches

Think about how you approach new and challenging experiences, and how you engage with others.

Consider the following six statements against the question below:

To what extent do you...?





Rarely	Sometimes	Often

5. Work Preferences

Think about your career to date. What do you like or not like about the work you do, and what kind of activities do you prefer? When considering the following statements, go with your initial reaction, without dwelling on each one for too long. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here.

Please read each pair of statements and select the one that appeals to you the most:

5. Work Preferences - Feedback

From each pair of statements and select the one that appeals to you the most:

= the answers you gave

6. Summary of Feedback

Summary

Thank you for completing the Accelerate to Headship questionnaire. Based on a complete analysis, your responses have been categorised as 'low', 'medium', 'mixed' or 'high' for each of the four sets of questions. Click on these below to understand more about your score and get detailed feedback.

Accelerate to Headship Options

Breadth and Depth of Experience

Level of Energy

Learning Approaches

Work Preferences

You will be able to print a full summary of your answers and feedback from the next screen.

7. Overall Feedback

Printable Feedback Report

A review of the sections of this questionnaire, including your answers and feedback, is available for printing by clicking below.

Questionnaire Background

This questionnaire focused on certain areas because they are all key to your success on the Accelerate to Headship programme.

If you already have leadership experience, you will find it easier to make practical sense of what you learn on the course. If you feel you have a low level of leadership experience, you might feel out of your depth or find that you are unable to relate to the programme's content.

If you are highly motivated by the challenges of being a school leader, you are much more likely to enjoy and flourish on this course. If not, it might be worth considering other options.

You will need to be a quick learner, as Accelerate to Headship is an intense learning development scheme. Section three questioned your ability to cope (and thrive) under pressure, as well as your level of interest in learning new things. If you got a low score in this area, you may find that the accelerated learning route is not for you.

Although work-based preferences may change over time, especially as you get new experience in different roles, it is important to be clear on the areas of work you fundamentally prefer and how that will impact your future career direction. This is especially valuable when you come to make tough choices between your current role, working with others and making decisions in shorter time frames, and longer-term school leadership activities.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. We hope it has helped you gain further insight and assess how suitable the Accelerate to Headship programme would be for you.