It all starts with a question…

What is the Educator Leadership Programme (ELP) really about?

In short, it's lots of different things to different people. I'll hand over to this year's finishing participants to explain more...

‘I loved hearing from people in different contexts and seeing what they were thinking about/applying. Seeing them as leaders of learning helped me to also put myself in that group and see myself in that way as well.’

How does it work?

The Educator Leadership Programme (ELP) is about Educators Leading Practice through Enquiry.

ELP is a professional learning programme for early learning and childcare practitioners, community learning and development practitioner and class teachers, that enables participants to reflect on their practices and engage in practitioner enquiry. 

Through support of the ELP Team, educators are guided through an enquiry cycle and are provided opportunities to connect with other practitioners who are on the same journey.

Educators are encouraged to ask analytical questions about themselves and their learners within their specific context. By delving deeper into practice and understanding their ‘Why’ as an educator, ELP supports practitioners to recognise their influence and impact as leaders in education. This in turn, empowers educators to lead practice in their own context with confidence.

So what do you actually do?

Practitioners select an area of enquiry that is directly related to positively impacting their learners within the context of their communities. Within this they will generate questions and explore options for developing practice and gathering evidence of impact through their enquiry cycle. This will look different for each practitioner depending on their learning context. The ELP module activities, live sessions and online community are designed to support practitioners throughout each stage.

As learners are closely involved in this process, ELP encourages participants to share their enquiry journey and involve learners in the cycle. Engaging in this enquiry model and reflecting on learning processes, enables educators to role model metacognitive practices.

ELP 22/23 | Flickr takes you to the practitioner enquiry posters created by the ELP 2022-23 Cohort.

What is the intended impact of ELP?

Engaging in practitioner enquiry not only has a positive impact on learners but also helps educators develop their professional agency and voice.

ELP provides a space for participants to form a community of practice (Wenger, 1998), providing a support network to work through the enquiry cycle. The intention is to continue learning with and from each other as ELP Alumni.

The Educator Leadership programme is designed to offer participants flexibility and opportunities to collaborate and share practice across sectors, while keeping the learner experience at the centre through our focus on practitioner enquiry.

If you are interested and want to read more and apply now: Educator Leadership Programme

If you are interested and would like to ask a few more questions, you can sign up to attend one of our ELP Information sessions: