Middle Leader Certificate: Building and Leading Teams: 12 & 13 Oct 2026
Middle Leader Certificate: Building and Leading Teams: 12 & 13 Oct 2026
A series of two four-hour sessions, each starting at 05:00 (London time).
12 & 13 October 2026
Delivered virtually via Zoom; you will need to attend all virtual sessions in order to gain the certificate of course completion.
Facilitated by Keryn Dowling
Middle and Teacher Leaders play a key role in shaping the quality of teamwork within a school. They are often responsible for leading teams, guiding collaboration, supporting colleagues, and helping translate whole-school priorities into consistent practice. This course explores how Middle and Teacher leaders can build cohesive, collaborative teams that stay focused on student learning.
Drawing on a strong body of literature and research, the course focuses on what is most practical, relevant, and productive in leading teams within schools. Central to this work is the understanding that the foundation of an effective team is psychological safety, strengthened through leaders intentionally building trust over time. Participants will examine the characteristics of highly functioning teams, consider how protocols and structures can create an environment in which team members feel valued.
Participants will also take a deeper dive into the different types of collaboration, exploring what makes collaboration effective and where it can become challenging. The course will examine the types of conversations that are critical to effective teamwork and what processes, behaviours, and approaches can help leaders navigate them well and promote more productive dialogue.
By the end of the course, participants will leave with practical strategies to strengthen collaboration, build trust, and elevate the effectiveness of their teams.
Guiding Questions:
- – What are the key characteristics of a highly functioning team?
- – How do protocols and structures create an environment where team members feel valued & collaboration is effective?
- – How does intentionally building trust impact team performance?
- – What types of conversations are critical, and when are they likely to occur?
- – What processes and behaviours can be prepared in advance to enable challenging conversations to be well managed?