Strengthening Leadership and Governance

Informing school planning, leadership, supervision and data management.

School management and leadership based on accurate data leads to better planning and supervision, and consequently to improved learning for children.

Effective school management requires strong leaders and a supportive, engaged community. We train head teachers on resource management, monitoring and mentoring of staff, and data management and usage. School Committee members are also trained in their roles and responsibilities.

Key Facts

1
new Framework for Basic Education Quality Assurance created with the Rwandan Ministry of Education in partnership with Unicef
79%
of the projects’ schools met minimum education standards in school management and leadership compared to 12% at the start of Link’s projects in Katakwi district in Uganda
99%
of headteachers surveyed after Link’s INSPIRE project in Malawi, said the project was useful in improving their school
132
schools in Uganda have received school management simulation training with Link

Reviewing school performance

The school performance review is our innovative approach to evidence-based school improvement and one of our core activities. It measures individual school performance against common key indicators. Data is collected by stakeholders and transformed into an accessible format that community members understand.

This empowers them to tailor their school improvement plans to address specific challenges, enabling efficient use of scarce resources. This approach has been successfully adapted and adopted in all our partner countries.

Find out more about our approach.

Setting national standards

Using school performance review data we supported the development of Malawi’s first ever National Education Standards – a set of minimum requirements for teaching, learning, school leadership, community participation and child protection.

We provided technical assistance to government inspectors and advisors, and built capacity in data management and analysis. A database and accompanying mobile app now assist the government in understanding how schools are performing against the National Education Standards, enabling targeted delivery of resources.

Link’s data collection system enables the ministry to make meaningful decisions to improve learning outcomes. We collect data, analyse and produce reports to show what’s happening at school level and see how they need to improve.

Ministry Director, Malawi

Teaching better school management

Our school management simulation trains stakeholders to make effective decisions on the use of funds, staff and resources to enable school improvement.

School management teams, governing bodies, teachers, learners and parents simulate managing a school based on real-world scenarios. Collaborative decision making creates strong teams able to plan effectively and improve learner outcomes.

Link is proud to have developed this tool in partnership with Business Today, a leading global expert in business simulation experienced in delivering practical “discovery learning” customised training interventions across the world.

We have delivered the training to thousands of participants across Ethiopia and Malawi, and in 2019-20, we delivered this unique training simulation to 889 individuals across 114 schools in Uganda to improve school leadership.

The game demonstrates the consequences of decisions when resources are used properly or wasted. It is a practical tool to equip participants with the skills and knowledge on resource management and effective decision making

Headteacher

Improving school leadership

In Ethiopia we work closely with school leaders across our TARGET and STAGES projects. The training and follow-up support we provide strengthens the continuous professional development of school leadership that is already in place. 

It focuses on instructional leadership, including the key role that school leaders play in monitoring and improving the quality of teaching in the classroom, as well as how the school can be improved to meet the needs of all students.

While in Malawi, as part of our school improvement programme (MSIP), we have provided training to more than 900 teachers in school management and leadership skills in collaboration with Scottish teachers and district officials.

Building capacity of local government

In Ethiopia cluster supervisors and woreda education experts play a critical role in the improvement of schools, including teaching and learning, and are key partners in both the TARGET and STAGES projects. We work closely with these staff to strengthen the monitoring and supervision of schools, and the quality of the feedback and support provided to school leaders and teachers.