A leadership programme for aspiring headteachers in the East of England

Headteachers for the schools and communities of the East of England.

A year of preparation for headship across the East of England, from coast and market town to commuter belt and city, alongside peers who will stay with you long after it ends.

Apply now Register your interest

100 leaders per region, a new cohort every year.

Applications are open for the September 2027 cohort.

Apply now

Close to opportunity, out of reach.

The East of England is home to world-class universities and some of the fastest-growing places in the country. Yet its disadvantaged children start school further behind than anywhere else in England.

  • 5.7 months

    The gap opens before school

    At age 5, the East had the widest disadvantage gap of any region in 2025, and one of the sharpest rises since 2019.

  • 20.7 months

    And widens all the way through

    By 11, disadvantaged pupils are 11.7 months behind their peers. By GCSE, the gap is 20.7 months.

  • 23%

    Lower poverty, wide gaps

    Child poverty here is among the lowest in England, yet Central Bedfordshire has some of the widest primary gaps in the country. Low averages can hide children who are falling behind.

Bright spots

Luton is one of only two places outside London among the 20 smallest primary gaps in England, and Peterborough has made one of the largest improvements since 2019.

Sources: Education Policy Institute, Annual Report 2026 (2025 data); IPPR (2025), child poverty 2021/22 to 2023/24.

How it works

Personal leadership development and collective learning, designed to sit alongside a senior role in school.

Leadership is always shaped by place.

Learning to read your context well: coast, market town, commuter belt and city, each with its own assets and constraints.

Leadership grows through difference.

Small rural primaries, coastal secondaries, federations, special and alternative provision, and urban schools learn together.

Ambition grows when you see what is possible.

Study tours to excellent schools beyond the region, with time to adapt what you see rather than copy it.

Leadership starts with self-knowledge.

Coaching and structured reflection to clarify your values, your judgement and the head you want to be.

Schools thrive when they are rooted in place.

Deep inquiry into your community's assets and history, and a focus on the levers that matter most for fairness.

The year

Demanding at times, reflective at others. Full dates and details

  1. September

    Opening residential

    Trust, shared purpose and a common language for the year.

  2. Through the year

    Workshops and webinars

    New perspectives and structured reflection with peers.

  3. Autumn and spring

    Study tours

    Excellent schools, within and beyond the region.

  4. Ongoing

    Online community

    Curated content and connection between live sessions.

  5. Termly

    Headteacher tasks

    Real decisions, practised in your own setting.

  6. Year-round

    Executive coaching

    One-to-one coaching, open to every participant.

  7. June

    Closing residential

    From insight to sustained leadership action.

Who it's for

  • Leaders aspiring to headship in the next few years
  • Committed to leading in the East of England
  • Working in coastal, rural, market-town, commuter-belt or city schools
  • Who value collaboration over competition
  • Who want their school to be an anchor for its community

What it asks of you

  • Time and attention across the whole year
  • Full engagement with cohort learning and reflection
  • Honesty about the challenges of your context
  • Willingness to test new approaches
  • Generosity to a shared regional network
Apply nowNot ready yet? Register your interest

What changes

When it works, we see change at three connected levels.

In leaders

Confidence, clarity and readiness for headship, particularly in complex and isolated contexts.

Between people

Isolation reduces as lasting professional relationships form across the region, creating support where there was none.

In schools and trusts

Leadership pipelines steady, schools become more resilient, and communities benefit from leaders who stay.

In their words

“The mission isn’t to prepare students to leave. It’s to equip them with the agency to choose their path. True success will be when students choose to stay, not because they have no other option, but because staying offers meaningful, fulfilling possibilities.”

Alum

“The unapologetic and infectious focus on pupils is both inspiring and grounding, serving as a constant reminder of why we do what we do.”

Participant, cohort 1

“What makes this programme so magical is the network of support it provides.”

Alum

Built in partnership

In a region that can feel like a collection of microclimates, our partners are building one generous professional network.

Our partner board

  • Asset Education
  • Cam Academy Trust
  • Chiltern Learning Partnership
  • Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust
  • Horizons Education Trust
  • Meridian Trust
  • Ormiston Academies Trust
  • The Elliot Foundation
  • Unity Schools Partnership

The team

Jon Hutchinson

Jon Hutchinson

Programme Lead

Committed to building strong local school systems, Jon brings deep expertise in evidence-based curriculum design and instructional practice, and a belief in nurturing regional talent.

Beck Crowhurst

Beck Crowhurst

Programme Lead

Part of the founding team at Reach Academy Feltham in 2012, Beck went on to become its co-headteacher, leading the school to an Outstanding Ofsted rating in 2024 and its strongest-ever GCSE results in 2025.

Shelley Gonsalves

Shelley Gonsalves

Programme Director

Leads leadership development at The Reach Foundation, shaping the x100 programmes and overseeing coaching.