The Controlled Schools’ Support Council invites Principals, Governors, and Senior Leaders in controlled schools to explore the CSSC Ethos and Leadership Programme. Created by CSSC, this programme is grounded in the belief that a strong ethos is the foundation of a successful school and to delivering the best possible educational experience for all pupils. The CSSC Ethos and Leadership programme aims to support your leadership to embed this essential element across the school community.
The CSSC Ethos and Leadership Programme reflects the Department of Education's current reform agenda by supporting schools to embed the principals of TransformED NI (2025) with a strong emphasis on professional learning, reflective practice and values driven leadership. The programme also aligns closely with the Education and Training Inspectorate's Empowering Improvement: New Framework for Inspection 2024, enabling schools to engage meaningfully with the five core questions and associated indicators. The programme strengthens the central role of ethos, vision, mission and values as drivers of improvement and learner outcomes.
The CSSC Ethos and Leadership Programme promotes an integrated approach, positioning ethos within inter-related modules through which personal and whole-school development are nurtured. Recognising that each school’s ethos journey and improvement priorities are unique, the programme has been intentionally designed to offer flexibility. Schools can engage with any module as a stand-alone option or progress through a sequence that aligns with their strategic direction. CSSC will work in partnership with you to provide bespoke support, ensuring the programme is responsive to your school’s unique context, needs and aspirations.
CSSC is committed to building long-term, collaborative partnerships with controlled schools on their ethos journey, recognizing that meaningful and sustained improvement is rooted in clear vision, strategic planning and perseverance. We believe a school's ethos should sit at the heart of its long-term ambitions and be intentionally embedded within the School Development Plan (SDP), with Teacher Professional Learning aligned to the school's three-year priorities to ensure coherence, capacity building and lasting impact.
All programme modules facilitated within your school or with a cluster of schools are provided at no cost. Please note that the centre-based Building Capacity and Empowering Middle Leaders programmes may require schools to provide substitute cover.
(The content of these programmes align with the objectives of the DE Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) Fund and are an appropriate use of this funding.)
We strongly encourage you to consider how the comprehensive modules offered by the CSSC Ethos and Leadership Programme can benefit both, your individual professional growth and ethos development within your school.
Click on links below for a description of each module.
Should you require further information please contact your CSSC Schools' Support Officer.
Andrew Brown SSO
andrew.brown@csscni.org.uk
Telephone: 07860 828 049
Jill Brown/Richard Reid
jill.brown/richard.reid@csscni.org.uk
Telephone: 07860 828 053 / 07938 485 903
Derek Harkness
derek.harkness@csscni.org.uk
Telephone: 07395 283 209
Heather McKenzie
heather.mckenzie@csscni.org.uk
Telephone: 07739 743 290
Tracey Woods
tracey.woods@csscni.org.uk
Telephone: 07860 528 004
