National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour & Attendance


CfBT Lincolnshire School Improvement Service, in partnership with then Department for Education and Skills (DfES) delivered a successful trialling of the materials for the National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour & Attendance (NPSLBA) in Lincolnshire.  The NPSLBA  is an innovative programme leading to accreditation ranging from a DfES (now Department for Children, Schools and Families) Completion Certificate to MA in Education.

On joining the NPSLBA participants become part of a rapidly growing network of B&A leaders within the region and across the country, working at varying levels of responsibility within schools. The course is not specifically for teachers or those in a position of responsibility within the school setting; BiP and Learning Mentors, EWOs, support staff, teachers, EiP Coordiantors and senior leaders attend the current courses. The programme is sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of all participants, with the definition of leadership being "at which promotes and facilitates necessary change".

The NPSLBA aims to:-

  • Strengthen participants' practical and theoretical knowledge
  • Develop their leadership skills
  • Build a professional community of specialists in this field

Prior to joining the programme participants will be asked to complete a formal application form and learning agreement, signed by their employers, confirming their and their employer's commitment to the programme. Further details about the NPSLBA nationally can be found at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/npsl_ba/

Initially the programme was offered to schools in the Education Improvement Partnership as part of a strategy to develop capacity to address the needs of children and young people where behaviour and/or attendance is a barrier to learning. The programme was also offered to BESD schools to enable trialling of the BESD materials to take place.  The programme rolled out to all schools and agencies in Lincolnshire in September 2007 as part of the School Improvement Service's Professional Development Agreement offer and as part of a wider roll out within the county. Lincolnshire is now into its third successful year of the programme.

For information about the NPSLBA in Lincolnshire please contact Sara Gregory (sgregory@cfbt.com), Joan Beale (jbeale@cfbt.com), Corrie Melvin (cmelvin@cfbt.com), Liz Neal (lneal@cfbt.com) or Lucy Wood (lwood@cfbt.com) who are all registered Local Leads for the NPSLBA Programme.