The purpose of NSLE programme of initial headteacher training is to implement the Headship Licence Programme. Slovenian legislation regulates that all head teachers are required to participate in the training programme leading to the Headship Licence. The participants are headteacher candidates, i.e. newly appointed headteachers or aspiring headteachers. The programme is implemented in small groups of around 20 participants, by which different forms of active work are made possible, such as workshops, group work, case studies, role playing, shadowing, exchange of participants’ experiences, presentations of particular organizations, face-to-face meetings with experienced headteachers etc. The goal of the Headship Licence Program is to train participants for the tasks of school and kindergarten leadership and management as defined within education legislation, as well as to develop skills and competences contributing to personal and organisational efficiency. The programme for Headship Licence consists of 6 compulsory modules:
The main objectives of the programme are:
The mentoring programme for newly appointed head teachers is intended for the systematic support and assistance for head teachers in the first term of headrship.
The program is implemented in the form of five one-day meetings of newly appointed head teachers and mentors to head teachers. Following every meeting, intermediate activities take place, as well as individual collaboration between the mentor (experienced head teacher) and the newly appointed head teacher. This program strives to offer systematic support to head teachers at the beginning of their mandate and enable effective engagement of newly appointed head teachers in the process of leadership and headship. The new head teachers acquire knowledge and skills in the area of leadership in education, thereby continuing their professional development and life-long training as head teachers.
The programme is currently funded by the European Social Fund within the framework of the Lifelong Learning of head teachers.
The training programme Headship Development is designed for head teachers after two mandates of headship. After ten plus years of headship, a need emerges to acquire additional knowledge and skills, which the individual has started to develop within the programmes of the NSLE. The Head Teachers Development Program thus systematically promotes life-long learning of head teachers and introduces new forms of networking.
The program is composed of four intertwined methods of work: three three-day modules, one one-day elective activities, mutual advisory work and project work.
The goals of the program include:
The program is based on the theory and practice of the approach for continual improvement in learning communities. Within this program, special development teams are formed that train for determining priority tasks for problem solving in a collaborative way. The programme is carried out at the level of development teams and at the level of school, with the entire staff. In a collaborative way, they define developmental and priority tasks, thus implementing the improvement at the level of school.
Part of the training in the Network of Learning Schools and Kindergartens presents professional discussions with colleagues, sharing practices and team problem solving.
The programme is designed to train teaching staff to identify the grounds for improvement in a cooperative way and to plan, implement and evaluate these improvements.
Training takes place on three levels:
In Slovenia, schools have had for many years official positions of middle leaders termed subject or group leaders; however, their role, status, position and training have largely been ignored. The programme Training for Middle Leadership 1 is a pioneering programme in Slovenia intended for subject and group leaders in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. The main aims of the programme are to enhance leadership knowledge and skills, to exchange good middle leadership practices, to encourage reflection and to promote networking among subject and group leaders. The training is structured around five core themes: middle leadership challenges (role, tasks, responsibilities, status, influence), leading meetings and problem solving, change management and improvement process, distributed leadership, professional learning and personal career. The course comprises 40 lessons and consists of five face-to-face meetings and two networking activities. The methods and techniques employed by the trainers include numerous experiential, reflective, coaching and NLP techniques
Through a new ESF project (Strengthening teachers' and headteachers' competences for leading innovative learning environments 2016 – 2017) we are also piloting a 2-day programme Training for Middle Leadership 2, which strives to actively involve the decision makers into the training and the establishment of the competency “profile” of subject/group leaders at the system level.
The Leadership for Learning programme is intended for headteachers who want to systematically dedicate themselves to the development of leadership for learning. Headteachers are aware of the fact that obtaining leadership skills for teaching and learning can increase the efficiency of their schools. Thus they encourage the teachers to participate in activities improving teaching and learning while making an important contribution to a better and deeper knowledge of students. The main aims of the programme are:
The programme enables headteachers to work in groups of 8 to 12 participants. It is up to the headteachers to choose the improvement task to be implemented and evaluated. During the one-year programme the participants engage in the improvement tasks and professional discussions on leadership for learning. The results and achievements of the programme are presented to other head teachers at professional conferences and in scientific articles.
The overall purpose of the proposed programme is to design a model of comprehensive support to head teachers in pedagogical leadership and management and thus develop the head teachers' capacities for critical thinking, problem learning, innovation, reflexion and cooperative learning. Strengthening and development of pedagogical leadership and management will provide the conditions for creating innovative learning environments and consequently the conditions for the development of quality in educational institutions.
The model of comprehensive support to head teachers in pedagogical leadership and management will be developed in three fields:
The learning methods, compliant with the principles of innovative learning will be applied in the implementation of the programme activities: cooperative forms of learning, strengthening digital abilities with the use of technologically advanced forms of learning, development of critical and creative thinking, own research, networking (also among different levels of educational system) and exchange of knowledge.
All three fields form expert groundwork for designing a model of comprehensive support to head teachers in educational institutions which will be supplemented by guidelines and recommendations for permanent implementation at the level of the system. The final result of the programme will be a developed and tested model of support to head teachers, available to all head teachers and directors of educational institutions, as it will be integrated into the activities of the national School for Leadership in Education along with the relevant system solutions.
The Programme is co-financed by European Social Funds (1.1.2016 – 31.8.2019).
The main aim of the programme is to define the commomn concept of quality in preschool, primary and secondary education in Slovenia. Based on current regulation, different approaches, mechanisms and instruments related primarily to school self-evaluation (see more in OECD Review on Evaluation and Assessment Frameworks for Improving Schools Outcomes: Country Background Report; 2011, Slovenia. PDF) the goals are:
The Programme is co-financed by European Social Funds (1.1.2016 – 1.8. 2018).
Leadership support programme was developed for staff in schools and kindergartens to encourage learning communities and develop knowledge and skills in some areas of their work. The programme has fourty hours of contact lessons, the themes of the trainings are divided into three parts:
The aims of the programme are:
The Programme is co-financed by European Social Funds (2016 – 2018).
Membership of the NSLE in International Associations: