The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and The Staff College are pleased to announce a new residential leadership development offer aimed at those new to the Chief Education Officer/Director of Education role in Scotland.
Introduction
Scotland’s Chief Education Officers operate at the intersection of national policy, local democratic accountability and the lived realities of children, young people and communities. The role demands operational oversight but it also requires system leadership, political acuity and the capacity to hold long-term purpose in the face of immediate pressure.
This programme has been designed specifically to support Chief Education Officers to lead with clarity, confidence and collective strength in that context.
The Chief Education Officer/Director of Education plays a crucial leadership role in securing the highest quality of educational experience for children and young people. The role involves leading improvement in outcomes, managing significant public budgets responsibly, and providing clear strategic leadership across the education system and wider public sector.
The environment in which Chief Education Officers operate is continually changing. National reform, continued financial pressure, growing expectations from children, young people and families, and the rapid development of digital approaches to learning and public services are reshaping the context in which they work. Together, these factors require disciplined system leadership in conditions of heightened scrutiny and constraint
Ultimately, the programme aims to strengthen Scotland’s education system by strengthening those who lead it, equipping Chief Education Officers to act with resourcefulness, integrity and strategic intent.
Scotland’s national and local education context
- The evolving role of the Chief Education Officer
- Values-led, strategic system leadership
- Building and leading high-performing teams
- Prioritisation, delegation and executive judgement
- Whole-systems thinking in complex environments
- Leading in political and high-accountability settings
- Managing change and navigating uncertainty
- Constructive approaches to conflict and challenge
- Peer learning through facilitated action learning sets
Chief Education officers / Education Directors who have recently taken up the role (within the last 6-12 months) and those who are looking to step up within the next 12-18 months. There is some flexibility on this.
- 1 May 2026 - Booking Closes
- 1st & 2nd June – Residential
- 12th August – ½ day online workshop
- w/c 24th August – Action Learning Set (date to be determined by group)
- 18th September – 1 day face to face workshop
- w/c 5th October – Action Learning Set (date to be determined by group)
- 23rd October – Final ½ day online workshop
The face to face sessions will take place at the Stirling Court Hotel, University of Stirling.