ABLE - Astra and Buckinghamshire Leaders of Education

Astra and Buckinghamshire Leaders of Education (ABLEs) are outstanding middle and senior leaders who have the skills to support and / or train individuals and teams in schools

ABLE Leader practitioners demonstrate:

• Capacity to establish shared values
• Gather and interpret relevant evidence and data
• Make judgements that are objective, fair, evidenced and accurate
• Communicate clearly and convincingly
• Maintain a high level of professional conduct

ABLEs are required to adhere to the following protocols throughout their deployment:

• Show commitment and understanding of their role
• Respect the context and culture of the Support School 
• Be positive and supportive
• Be challenging and rigorous
• Keep all findings and judgements confidential, unless permission is given by the school to share good practice
• Be on time
• Discuss issues honestly and clearly
• Base evaluations on clear evidence
• Carry out support with integrity, showing courtesy and respect to staff and pupils
• Adhere to the school’s own code of conduct
• Act professionally at all time

Please see the application form below.

• ABLE Application form

Applications to become a Side by Side Leadership Champion

Side by Side Leadership Champions are expert leaders from across all Buckinghamshire Schools with proven expertise in delivering whole school improvements. They are selected from Deployment Schools to work closely with schools identified as requiring Intervention or Prevention support, referred to as Support Schools.

Please see the application form below.  Applications are critically reviewed on the basis of the track record of improvement and a positive reference.  

• Side by Side Leadership form

Training for Side by Side Champions

Suitable training and support for and Side by Side Leadership Champions is an essential part of ensuring successful outcomes for the schools being supported.  The Side by Side Partnership Team have put in place a suitably challenging and robust support package that involves an initial training programme for practitioners who have been selected as a Side by Side Leadership Champion.  More details on the ABLE training programme can be found on the Astra Teaching School Hub Website