The Education Department in Anguilla has embarked on a school leadership programme aimed at having a cadre of teachers available so that when the time comes for retirement there will be a list of persons to draw from to fill the vacant posts.

School Leaders at Training Workshop

The first session of the Certificate in School Leadership for the year 2008/2009 is now taking place at the Teachers’ Resource Centre. It is a programme in which principals and potential principals are being trained and this year heads of department from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School have also been included.

The facilitators are Mrs. Verna Fahie, former Chief Education Officer and Mrs. Rosena Brooks, former Education Officer (Curriculum Development). Mrs. Fahie is particularly engaged in the school improvement planning aspect of the programme and implementation. Mrs. Brooks was involved in the first certificate programme offered in school leadership and has been working in association with the Isle of Wight counterparts. She has also been a facilitator for a session on event planning, protocols and the conduct of meetings.

It is a three-part programme with each session lasting one week. The first session, which has already ended, dealt with leadership skills, leading an effective school, school improvement planning, good teaching makes a difference and planning your

Mrs Verna Fahie and Mrs Rosina Brooks with “Challenge Disciplines” chart

improvement project. The focus has been on practice, monitoring the classrooms and supporting teachers. The workshop participants are required to work towards implementing a project in the schools on which they will be assessed in March next year when the third session will take place.

The workshop will continue in December this year for another week with other areas of the programme. There will be a final evaluation involving an interview in which the participants will be assessed on their knowledge and skills to determine how they developed over the training period.

Asked how the programme was being absorbed by the participants, Mrs. Fahie replied: “Very good. We couldn’t ask for better participants. They are all enthusiastic and are willing to try out all components of the programme in their schools, hopefully to bring about school improvement and in student learning.”

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