Enhancing Leadership Skills - ColegauCymru Senior Leadership Development Programme
A group of senior leaders from further education colleges across Wales have successfully completed the ColegauCymru Senior Leadership Development Programme (SLDP), marking a significant step in their professional growth. Designed to strengthen leadership across the further education sector in Wales, this intensive programme provided participants with invaluable insights, coaching, and peer learning opportunities.
The programme, managed by ColegauCymru in partnership with AoC Training, and supported by funding from Medr, was also able to draw on the experience of guest speakers from across the FE sector, including Medr, Estyn and Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
Through a series of residential modules and virtual coaching sessions, the programme enabled leaders to reflect on their impact, develop new strategies, and build a strong network of support. Such programmes help to drive positive change across the sector, ultimately benefiting learners, communities, and the economy.
Course Leader, Larry Shulman, commented,
“The SLDP is a unique and invaluable opportunity for senior leaders in FE to step back from the day-to-day and focus on their personal leadership journey. Through deep reflection, peer learning, and expert coaching, participants gain fresh perspectives, practical strategies, and the confidence to lead with greater impact. It’s been a privilege to support such a dedicated group of leaders as they develop the skills to drive meaningful change in their colleges and across the sector."
Programme Structure
The SLDP consisted of three two-day residential modules, each followed by a 1-hour virtual coaching conversation with esteemed coaches Larry Shulman or Jackie Smith. This structure allows participants to reflect on their personal impact as senior leaders and gain different perspectives from colleagues across the country.
Module 1 The first module was held in November 2024 and focused on Leading with Personal Impact. Participants gained a deeper understanding of their leadership styles and how to enhance their effectiveness, enabling them to understand more about themselves as senior leaders and how to increase their impact in the future, and included various leadership lenses and collaborative activities.
Module 2 The second module took place in February 2025 and looked at Leading Strategically, enabling participants to explore the big questions that strategic leaders need to ask and answer - taking full account of the wider environment, their organisation’s current capability to respond to it - and the leadership required from them to make it happen.
Module 3 The final module, held in March 2025, focused on Leading Transformational Change and how to initiate, implement and embed change successfully - arming participants to be able to bring a real change that they are responsible for and bring change to their organisation.
Programme Participant and Cardiff and Vale College Deputy Principal, James Scorey, added,
"The SDLP was high quality, and very well facilitated by experienced practitioners. The value of the programme was not just in the content but in the trusted network which was quickly established, the programme allowed for us to pause and reflect as leaders, whilst continually learning from each other."
ColegauCymru Chief Executive, David Hagendyk, further added,
“Strong and effective leadership is crucial for the success of FE in Wales. The SLDP provides an invaluable space for senior leaders to refine their skills, learn from one another, and drive positive change across the sector, ultimately benefiting learners, communities, and the economy. It’s great to see such enthusiasm from participants, and I look forward to seeing how the programme continues to shape leadership in our colleges.”
Further Information
For further information on the SLDP, please contact Programme Coordinator, Rob Baynham Robert.Baynham@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
