2016–2018: The Framework of Ethical Leadership in Education
The Ethical Leadership Commission was formed in 2017 to explore how leaders could be supported in making principled decisions. Its final report, Navigating the Educational Moral Maze (2019), introduced the Framework for Ethical Leadership in Education.
2021: Paving the way for ethical leadership in education report
The report shows the Framework:
- Works flexibly across different types of schools without adding extra workload
- Provides a shared language for governance, leadership discussions and decision-making
- Supports more confident, values-driven leadership, recruitment and curriculum planning
- Helps schools embed consistent ethical values across whole trusts and communities.
2023: Framework review
Five years on, the Ethical Leadership Alliance brought together partners including the Chartered College of Teaching, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), NGA, NAHT, NEU, CST, PTI, ISBL, YST and NASUWT to review the Framework.
The review focused on promoting its language across education, embedding it in teacher development from ECT to NPQEL, revising part two of the Teachers’ Standards and supporting leaders to share real-life dilemmas. We also championed the five challenges from the Leading in Practice report, helping you and your colleagues:
- communicate values and lead by example
- encourage a culture where people speak up
- embed ethics in training and decision-making
- apply ethical principles in governance
- embed ethics in recruitment and performance management.
“We have printed out the values and virtues of the framework and displayed them across the school as a way to embed an ethical way of thinking to pupils” Headteacher and pathfinder
2024: Training for ethical leadership
To make the Framework practical, the Alliance designed five training sessions that schools and trusts can adapt. The sessions combine structured learning with open discussion of daily dilemmas, offering you the space to learn from peers and strengthen your own practice.
The sessions support leaders in all contexts, from single schools to large trusts, and responds to the realities of leading in today’s challenging climate. It is built on the principle that ethical leadership is not just about what you do but how you do it.
“Our strong View is that the ethical health of an organisation cannot be left to chance. Leaders must ensure that the Principles of Public Life are integral to how public sector organisations operate and how the people in them make decisions and treat each other.” Leading in Practice, Committee for Standards in Public Life report January 2023
2025 and beyond
The Ethical Leadership Alliance continues to grow its impact, creating opportunities for collaboration, reflection and shared learning. The alliance is currently collaborating with Mission 44 on the Increasing Diversity in ITT project, which is tackling barriers to entry and success for global majority educators. Together, we strengthen ethical leadership, inspire trust and build schools where every child can flourish.
