LEaD Programme Celebrates Successful First Cohort

A new leadership development programme created through a collaboration between LTE Group's Quality Team and Novus has been hailed a success after its first cohort completed a six-month learning programme. 

Launched in February, LEaD (Lead, Evolve and Drive) was designed to support current and aspiring middle leaders, helping them build confidence, strengthen their leadership practice and develop the skills needed to lead effectively in a complex education and skills environment.

The pilot programme brought together 24 existing and aspiring middle leaders from across Novus, all of whom successfully completed the programme in July.

Developed jointly by the Group Quality Team and Novus, LEaD combines leadership development with a strong focus on quality improvement, ensuring participants are equipped to support colleagues, drive high standards and deliver positive outcomes for learners.

Developing Confident and Capable Leaders

Throughout the programme, participants completed structured modules covering key areas of leadership theory and practice, including:

• Leadership approaches and styles
• Leading through change
• Managing conflict
• Coaching and performance conversations
• Stakeholder engagement
• Strategic planning and prioritisation
• Decision-making and team oversight

Each participant was also paired with a mentor from the senior leadership team, providing valuable guidance and practical insight as they applied their learning in the workplace.

Mentoring was consistently highlighted as one of the programme's most valuable elements, helping participants connect leadership theory with real-world situations, responsibilities and development goals.

Putting Quality at the Heart of Leadership

A key feature of the programme was a dedicated Quality Masterclass, which encouraged participants to consider the areas they should prioritise when managing learning provision.

The session reinforced the importance of raising standards, meeting compliance requirements and maintaining a clear focus on the learner experience. By bringing together leadership development and quality improvement, LEaD supported participants to think not only about how they lead people, but also how they can drive meaningful and lasting improvement.

The programme reflects a shared commitment from the Group Quality Team and Novus to developing leaders who can champion excellence and continuously improve outcomes for learners.

Celebrating the First Cohort

The pilot concluded with an awards ceremony at City Campus Manchester in July, where participants were recognised for their commitment, engagement and achievements throughout the six-month programme.

Annick Platt, National Operations Director for Novus, said:

The LEaD programme gave colleagues from across Novus the opportunity to explore and develop their own leadership style. Developing our managers and future managers is key to our Destination 30 strategy and will help strengthen the quality of our service delivery for learners and colleagues. An excellent programme!

Feedback from participants was extremely positive. One delegate said:

I found the course extremely useful and relevant to my role.

Another added:

I have enjoyed engaging with the programme and have benefited greatly, in particular from my mentor.

A Collaborative Approach to Leadership Development

The success of the first cohort demonstrates the value of collaboration in developing future leaders. By bringing together the expertise of the Group Quality Team and Novus, LEaD was designed to provide practical skills, meaningful development opportunities and a deeper understanding of quality improvement.

The programme also created opportunities for colleagues from different departments and areas of Novus to share experiences, build professional networks and learn from one another, helping to strengthen leadership capability across the organisation.

By investing in current and future leaders, LEaD is supporting the development of confident, capable professionals who can drive continuous improvement and create positive outcomes for learners, colleagues and communities.

Discover More from Novus

The LEaD programme is just one example of how Novus invests in people to support high-quality education and skills delivery. To learn more about our work, partnerships and achievements across the justice sector, explore our latest news and case studies and discover how we're creating opportunities through learning, skills and employment.