Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of diversity in schools' senior leadership teams on exclusion rates.

The Department agrees with the findings of the Timpson Review of School exclusion, in that it must back head teachers to create strong school cultures that deliver the best outcomes for every pupil. It is important to consider the diversity of senior leadership teams to ensure there are positive role models for all pupils in every school.

The Department monitors data on the teaching workforce, including statistics on the diversity of teachers and senior leadership teams.

The Department wants to see more diversity, so that teachers and leadership teams are representative of the communities they serve and the pupils they teach. If the Department is to recruit and retain the best possible candidates, the full potential of the teaching and leadership talent pool should be recognised and realised.

The Department’s world class teacher development programmes, such as National Professional Qualifications, are designed to support all teachers in the early stages of their careers right the way through to executive headship. These programmes are supported by unprecedented levels of investment to ensure they reach as many people as possible and facilitate the recruitment, retention and promotion of the best teachers and senior leadership teams, regardless of their background.

Through the suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), current and aspiring leaders can develop the knowledge, behaviours, and networks they need to be high performing leaders at a variety of levels and deliver the best possible outcomes for the staff and children in their diverse communities. There are four leadership NPQs currently available: Senior Leadership, Headship, Executive Leadership, and Early Years Leadership.