Building Agile Leadership Capability with Falkirk Council
Working closley with Falkirk Council, we designed and delivered a bespoke digital program for two cohorts based around our Agile School Leadership materials.
ORGANISATION FALKIRK COUNCIL, UK
Number of participants: 168
Schools involved: 71
When: 2014 – 2015
Timeframe: 6 months
Location: Digital Delivery
Working with Simon Breakspear has been a game-changer for us in Falkirk. The Agile School Leadership programme brought fresh, practical thinking to our improvement work. Having our entire Central Education Team and all Headteachers and Heads of Centre in ELCs take part together created a powerful shared momentum across the system.
The Partnership
We had the privilege of partnering with Falkirk Council to co-design and deliver a practical leadership development program aimed at helping school leaders confidently lead change in complex and fast-moving environments. The focus? Supporting leaders to cut through the noise, get clear on what matters most, and take purposeful action – without burning out.
What We Designed
The Falkirk Agile Leadership Program brought together a dedicated group of school leaders over a 12-week journey. Together, we explored:
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Agile implementation methods that help turn plans into progress.
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Strategic decision-making tools to cut through competing priorities.
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Simple routines for reflection and review to keep teams learning and adapting.
The workshops were interactive, down-to-earth, and built around the real challenges Falkirk leaders face every day.
What Leaders Said
The feedback was clear: this work hit the mark.
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Every single participant said the sessions were relevant and well-structured.
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Leaders told us the tools helped them sharpen their focus, prioritise with more confidence, and bring their teams with them.
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They valued the calm, reflective space to step back, think clearly, and re-energise.
One leader reflected:
“This was the best leadership development session I’ve experienced in years – practical, purposeful, and grounded in what school leaders really face.”
What Made It Work
At the heart of this work was a shared commitment to making leadership development real and usable. We focused on what leaders can apply tomorrow, not just what sounds good in theory. And by creating space for connection, shared language, and practical tools, we saw real momentum build across the group.
Moving Forward
Our work with Falkirk Council is a powerful reminder: when leaders have the time, space, and tools to think and act more deliberately, it transforms the way they lead. We’re excited to continue supporting leaders who want to build clarity, focus, and traction in their improvement work—one cycle at a time.
Overall Program Feedback Snapshots
Comments from Participants
This program will help you and your team to clarify your thinking and planning, then measure your progress in a way that helps you continue to improve with confidence and motivation.
It’s a great opportunity to reflect and create clear thinking and processes to support improvement. I really valued that this is a whole council approach, we have support and a shared vision to develop our improvement journeys together.
The course was perfectly paced offering a toolkit of practical and efficient templates to support the school improvement process.
Really useful tools which make sense and are easy to use. I feel we will be more focused and clear on improvements and their impact.
Lots of useful, practical tools that we will use as part of our improvement journey.
Really coming together now – thanks for making it so practical and steeped in school life.