Developing Effective School Leaders? Initial Views of the Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH)

This article outlines the rationale for and the development of the Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH). It describes the context of standards and competences within which the SQH has been developed, and the nature of the consultation process undertaken. The qualification itself has a four-unit structure, with two units of school-based learning. It may be taken in two modes, a full four-unit form and an accelerated route for those with attestable experience. Evaluation data are reported from the first group of candidates to complete the qualification, who had followed the accelerated route. The findings are very positive, which might be expected from an enthusiastic first group of volunteers, but they also raise a series of questions for further study, particularly in relation to assumptions about a single model for headship of schools of all sizes and sectors, and for candidates with a very varying range of prior experience.