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Connected Leaders:leadership for sustainable schools

personal development, professional development, sustainable development. A fresh look at educational purpose, practice and approaches to change with head teachers

We are delighted to announce the launch of Connected Leaders, based on the findings of the Leading for the Future course. Please visit our Connected Leaders microsite for more details, and find out more about the pilot scheme below.

Working with school leadership is essential in creating change in the formal education sector as school leaders become more important and empowered in the education landscape. WWF intends to engage with school leaders as individuals with values, convictions, personal passion and drive to do the best for the children in their care.

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The course:

WWF education is delighted to release the pilot report for ‘Leading for the Future’, our pilot project with school leaders, developed in collaboration with Commonwork, Kent, and David Dixon, head of Mulgrave school, Woolwich.

Why did we do this?

We believe that in order to educate others to think differently and take the critical and creative action necessary to engage with the future, we need to draw on our selves first: our values, our conviction, our authenticity and, ultimately, our leadership.

Leading for the Future, 2010 - 2011

Pilots of Leading for the Future were held in October, 2010, with a follow-up in December, and March 2011, with a follow-up in May. Both pilots were evaluated and researched in detail, and the final report is available in full here

We launched this report at st Ethelburgas centre for reconcilitation and peace at the end of September. Mick Waters, pictured, gave us a keynote for the evening, in which he emphasised the importance of interaction with the natural world for educational progress.

Leading for the Future was developed around the concepts of ‘I, We, the Planet’, on the basis that we, as individuals, educators and leaders, need to examine our relationship with ourselves, each other and the wider world, including the natural world. We engaged in deep reflection to this end, and we examined different concepts of leadership and education. We also used our hands and bodies, working outdoors and engaging with nature in sensory and observational and experiential activities.

What did we find out?

The evaluation reports that out of the 18 pilot participants, 11 said that the course had had a profound or very strong effect on them. 3 said that it had had a fairly strong effect, and 3 felt they were still in a process of reflection. All participants reported a strong sense of purpose and a reawakening of values and rediscovery of their true self, recognising that this is a key building block for change.

• Read more about WWF’s work in education

Connected leaders

Download report

Leading for the future

Education links

• One Planet Schools
• WWF's work in education

The most important task, if we are to save the Earth, is to educate.

Sir Peter Scott

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