Aspiring Leaders Programme 2026

Have you been thinking about leadership in school?

Considering applying for an AP/DP/Principal position?

Have been recently appointed to an API or and APII position and need an outline of what school leadership is all about?

Then this course is for you!

This is a free 10 week hybrid course which will run during the Autumn term, starting from 24th September 2026. The sessions will be a mix of online and face to face sessions, with online sessions running from 4-6pm and face to face sessions from 5-7pm. The face to face sessions will be delivered in person in the West Cork Education Support Centre with Session 6 on the 5th of November taking place in Kinsale Community School.

A team of experienced tutors, who have been in your shoes, will guide you through core issues in school leadership including motivation; shared leadership; psychology of leadership; working with parents; key Dept.of Ed. documents - SSE & LAOS; Authentic leadership; and moral purpose.

In this accessible hybrid course, you will learn about the basics of school leadership which will equip you to discern for yourself what effective school leadership looks like and what it means to you.The course is divided into ten specific modules to make participation accessible and manageable:

• 5 face-2-face modules and 5 online modules.
• Face-2-face modules will take place in the West Cork Education Support Centre with Session 6 on the 5th of November taking place in Kinsale Community School.
• With a maximum of 40 participants on the course, there will be an emphasis on collaboration and collegiality.

Please Note:
Participants will be required to attend at least 8 out of 10 or 80% of the sessions to be eligible for a certificate. 

This is an Oide Leadership Endorsed Programme and has been designed and developed by our colleagues in Dublin West Education Support Centre.