: FREE Online PD Event – Strategic Implementation: A Multi-Faceted Vehicle for Driving Leadership Impact Part 1

Nicola Spearman, Secondary ELE and experienced school leader, will lead a session for Essex Research School exploring how strategic implementation can be used to drive sustainable school improvement and strengthen leadership capacity.

Drawing on her recent Essex Research School blog, Strategic Implementation: A Multi-Faceted Vehicle for Driving Leadership Impact – Part 1, Nicola will share the lessons learned from her school’s improvement journey and reflect on how engagement with the EEF’s A School’s Guide to Implementation transformed leadership thinking, planning and practice.

The session will explore four key themes: implementation as a process rather than an event, developing leadership expertise, creating clarity through strategic planning, and protecting time for effective implementation. Participants will gain practical insights into how evidence-informed approaches can help leaders move beyond short-term initiatives and build a culture of sustainable improvement.

Nicola will also share how implementation planning, leadership development and collaborative strategic thinking helped create the conditions for meaningful change across her organisation, supporting both leadership effectiveness and improved outcomes for pupils.

This session will be particularly relevant for leaders seeking to strengthen implementation processes, improve organisational coherence and develop leadership capacity for long-term school improvement.