Early Headship Coaching Offer for new headteachers (EHCO)

Get ongoing personal support
Being new to a headship role can be daunting. The EHCO will help you to find your feet by identifying your priorities and looking at structured, practical ways to tackle context specific problems.

Receive one-to-one coaching
You’ll get one-to-one coaching from an expert Headteacher who can provide support, insight and feedback to help you deal with the specific challenges you’re facing in your school.

School shadowing experience
Contextualise your NPQH expertise in a real school setting by shadowing an experienced headteacher. Your coach will explain the steps they have undertaken, their rationale, and any obstacles they have overcome in their school, supporting you to understand how they have applied expertise to their practice.

Build your network
You’ll also gain an effective peer community with a small group of headteachers facing similar challenges as you, providing a network that lasts long after you’ve completed the EHCO. These online sessions will explore the common challenges you are experiencing and help you overcome them.

Improve staff retention
An investment in your new headteacher shows your commitment to their career progression and job satisfaction. This means they’ll be more likely to stay in their post and become an effective leader.

Learn from experts
Your headteacher will receive one-to-one coaching and support from an experienced headteacher who will share their knowledge and professional insight.

Tackle existing challenges
Coaching and shadowing will focus on applying expertise from the NPQH to the problems your headteacher might be experiencing in their role. They will be guided by expert coaches to arrive at effective solutions to tackle the problems they face in their school.

Create a positive school culture
A headteacher that feels supported and has the training and tools to create positive change, will lead to a happier workforce, better teaching and more positive outcomes for your pupils.

Who is the EHCO programme for?
The Early Headship Coaching Offer is designed for new headteachers in the first five years of their role and are currently on, have completed, or applying for an NPQ in Headship.

How long does the EHCO programme last?
The Early Headship Coaching Offer is a twelve month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

How does the EHCO programme accommodate busy schedules?
The Early Headship Coaching Offer is designed to fit around your schedule with a 'little and often' approach that aligns with insights from the science of learning.

Is the EHCO fully funded?
The Early Headship Coaching Offer is fully funded for teachers and school leaders who work in eligible schools and organisations in England, by the Department for Education. Find out more about the eligibility criteria in the 'Funding' tab.

Are there any specific requirements to enrol on the EHCO programme?
To be eligible for the Early Headship Coaching Offer, you must be a serving teacher in a school or organisation in England and have completed your early careers training.

Content is shared via workbooks situated on our online development platform participants will access on workbook for each persistent problem they select.

The workbook shares an expert edit, to build on the expertise developed in the NPQH. Participants will use this knowledge building to focus and define a context-specific problem.

This course focuses on developmental opportunities for you. Your context specific problem will be developed through one-to-one coaching sessions with an experienced headteacher.

You’ll be able to shadow the expert headteacher, engaging in a range of activities which will help you to better understand your problem and possible solutions. You will also have regular peer-group discussions with other headteachers via online video conferencing, to work through work-related dilemmas.

Note: programme content is subject to change.

Ambition Institute provides high-quality content and materials, built on our experience in schools and other learning environments, and our deep knowledge of evidence and practice.

Our partner in your region will put this knowledge into context and manage your experience on the programme, from facilitation to day-to-day support.

The timings and methods of activity, sizes of cohorts and the cost of the programme may vary across delivery partners.