Create: Middle Leaders

The Create: Middle Leaders program equips you to feel confident and capable in your role as a middle leader, so you can influence and lead improvement in the classroom and pedagogical practices in your school. 

You will explore the complexity of the middle leader’s role and start unpacking data that supports the goals set out in your school’s annual implementation plan (AIP).

You will develop the skills to effectively lead teams to support improved student achievement, engagement and wellbeing. 

• Enact impactful leadership dispositions. Identify and apply specific behaviors and strategies required to increase your influence and effectiveness as a middle leader.  
• Cultivate collective responsibility. Build high-trust, collaborative environments that empower your team to share expertise and work toward shared student outcomes.  
• Influence pedagogical practices. Use evidence-informed strategies and school data to lead improvements in teaching that directly impact student achievement and wellbeing.  
• Build professional learning networks. Engage with your peer learning group and current research to sustain your practice and foster growth across your school network.  

Facilitated by EC by Go1.

Roles

Designed for aspiring and emerging leaders looking to improve their leadership and demonstrate evidence of an impact on student achievement, engagement and wellbeing. This includes:

• teacher leaders
• leading teachers
• learning specialists
• middle years literacy and numeracy specialists
• literacy and numeracy leaders
• curriculum coordinators.

To be eligible for the Create: Middle Leaders program, you must have a minimum of 2 years’ teaching experience and have the support of your school principal to apply for and participate in the program.  

School sectors 

This program is available to the following school sectors:

• Victorian Government
• Catholic
• independent.

Delivery

Over 7 months, you are expected to engage in and contribute to:

• workshops (5 full days)
• regular self-directed learning tasks (16 hours)
• a peer learning group (3 hours)
• a school improvement initiative.

Workshops

You will engage in a variety of synchronous learning activities alongside the whole group and in smaller groups. The goal of all workshops is to grow your capacity as a middle leader with explicit leadership training and support, in addition to developing your understanding and application of change leadership through the implementation of a school-based improvement initiative.

Self-directed learning

Self-directed learning activities in your own time include:

• engaging with readings and other online material to build your leadership capacity
• sharing insights and ideas with colleagues on discussion boards
• meeting with your in-school colleague for structured and supported meetings regarding the implementation of your change initiative
• a priority improvement project
• reviewing the learning from synchronous workshops.

Peer learning group

You will be placed in a group with participants from different schools to expand your professional network and support each other’s learning and implementation of initiatives. After each workshop, you will meet with your peer learning group to discuss and complete tasks related to the workshop content.

School improvement project

You will create a school improvement plan, with a strong emphasis on utilising evidence-informed strategies to drive positive changes and enhance outcomes in teaching, learning and wellbeing. You will align your efforts with your school's annual implementation plan (AIP), ensuring that your actions are in line with the overarching strategic goals. Throughout the program, you will develop the skills needed to effectively lead a team in support of this improvement plan. 

Learning outcomes

You will develop the knowledge and understanding to:

• reflect on your leadership approach and role to identify dispositions, strategies and resources that can help you be more impactful
• increase your capacity to strategically support colleagues and teams to work more effectively and extend your ability to cultivate relational trust
• participate in the development of a professional learning community to sustain and extend your practice and wellbeing
• identify and critically engage with emerging research, professional networks, resources and strategies to improve your leadership practice
• further your capacity to lead a school-based change endeavour through analysis, research, planning, assessment, improvement and reflection.

Completion requirements

To successfully complete this program, you are required to: 

• attend all workshops and actively engage   
• engage in a peer learning group on at least 3 occasions
• complete and submit a presentation.

Application process 

As part of your application, you will need to:  

• respond to the key selection criteria  
• provide your curriculum vitae  
• have principal or delegate endorsement.  

Key selection criteria  

Please provide up to a 200-word response for each KSC.

KSC 1: Developing others and leading teams

Describe a time when you have successfully brought others along with you, or led a team, within your context to improve student learning or wellbeing outcomes. Detail the actions you took, who was involved and the result.

KSC 2: Developing self

What do you hope to learn and achieve in support of your leadership development through this program?

Successfully addressing the KSC

A strong response to each criterion will:      

• use concrete example(s) that relate to the focus of the question  
• illustrate your achievements (past) and your potential (future)  
• discuss the what (actions), the how (processes) and the why (rationale)  
• draw on appropriate evidence in relation to impacts/outcomes.  

To create clear and concise answers we suggest you apply the situation, action and outcome (SAO) approach:  

• situation: what was the initial context and observations of the situation  
• action: what you did and how you did it  
• outcome: what was the result of your actions.  

The most successful applications provide deep and detailed responses; focus on an example that illustrates your capabilities in an area and use that to convey the approach you use to all your work.  

We encourage you to seek feedback and advice about your draft responses from your principal and/or other colleagues before submitting your final application.  

Curriculum vitae  

Attach a two-page curriculum vitae outlining your:  

• qualifications
• professional career, including responsibilities  
• achievements (within and outside of education)  
• recent relevant professional learning.  

Endorsement    

Upon registration, your principal will be sent a link where they can endorse your application.  

We significantly subsidise costs for all participants.

Financial support

Travel and accommodation subsidies are available for eligible schools.

Fees and financial support