South Cumbrian School Shortlisted For National Leadership Excellence Award
A South Cumbrian school has been shortlisted for a national award after a leadership programme helped strengthen staff confidence and engagement.
Dallam School in Milnthorpe and Kendal based Leader-Connect have been named finalists in the Innovation with Impact category at the Leadership Live awards. The recognition follows a leadership development programme completed by the school's senior team, with the training designed to strengthen leadership skills and embed learning across the school.
The leadership course was delivered by Neil Jurd, owner of Leader-Connect, and involved members of the school's senior leadership team. The programme began in October 2025 and provided structured development for staff in leadership roles, with its impact later reflected in the school's wider improvement work.
A total of 21 teachers were enrolled in the Institute of Leadership as part of the programme. The training was intended to provide participants with further leadership knowledge and development, while supporting the school in building stronger confidence and engagement among its staff.
The programme's influence was also recognised during a recent Ofsted inspection. Inspectors praised leadership skills at Dallam School, providing independent recognition of progress that had been made through the school's leadership development and improvement work.
The national award nomination reflects several areas of progress identified by the school. These include improved staff engagement and confidence in leadership, alongside feedback from colleagues about the benefits of the programme and the way its learning has become part of everyday school leadership.
The training has also been incorporated into the school's improvement plans and appraisal processes. This means the learning from the programme has not remained limited to the original course, but has instead been integrated into wider approaches to leadership and professional development within the school.
Headteacher Steve Henneberry said the recognition was particularly significant because it reflected work that had been developed collectively. He highlighted the improvement in staff engagement and leadership confidence, as well as the feedback received from colleagues and the independent validation provided through the Ofsted inspection.
Mr Henneberry also said the school was proud to see its work recognised nationally by the Institute of Leadership. The award nomination therefore provides recognition not only for the training itself, but also for the way leadership development has been embedded within the school's ongoing improvement activity.
Neil Jurd said senior leadership teams in schools could benefit from leadership training. He also pointed to evidence linking strong school leadership with higher pupil examination results, suggesting that leadership development can form an important part of efforts by schools seeking to improve their overall performance.
The nomination places Dallam School and Leader-Connect among the finalists competing in the Innovation with Impact category. Their entry reflects a partnership between an education provider and a leadership training organisation, centred on developing skills within the school's senior team.
The recognition also follows a period in which the school has sought to embed leadership learning into its broader improvement processes. The combination of staff feedback, increased confidence, appraisal activity and Ofsted recognition has provided several indicators of the programme's impact.
The Leadership Live awards will provide the next stage of recognition for the programme, with winners due to be announced at a ceremony in Milton Keynes. Dallam School and Leader-Connect will discover whether they have won the Innovation with Impact category at the event.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday September 29. Until then, the school and Leader-Connect remain among the finalists following the leadership programme and the subsequent recognition of its impact through staff feedback and Ofsted's assessment.
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