It states that any such set of standards should be:

'both inspirational and aspirational. Inspirational in that they convey the excitement of this important role and aspirational so that serving head teachers continue to work in a way that improves and transforms schools and contributes to the future development of our
education service.'1. p3

The purpose behind developing such a set of national standards for school leaders is to:

Articulate the role of effective headship in the 21st century
Define the components for accountability and specify what is expected by stakeholders including pupils, staff, governors, parents, local education authorities and the wider community
Inform, challenge and enthuse aspiring and serving head teachers
Provide a tool for use in day to day work by head teachers and those working with them
Provide a map for professional development and action
Develop a common language and consistent approach to understanding headship
The proposed set of National Standards for Headteachers are advisory, not statutory, and some examples of how they might be applied in the professional life of a school leader are in such areas as personal review and reflection, planning professional learning and development, and supporting strategic and operational planning and day to management

The standards have been generated around six proposed areas of leadership learning:

1. Creating the future
2. Leading learning and teaching
3. Developing self and working with others
4. Managing the organisation
5. Promoting professional accountability
6. Building community through collaboration

These areas are chosen because it is believed that they represent the essence of a school leader's role and responsibilities.

The ideal school leader should have knowledge in several diverse areas, for example:

Futures thinking, local, national and global trends
Building, communicating and implementing a values-centred, shared vision
Strategic planning processes
Tools for data collection and analysis
Strategies for communication both within and beyond the school
The use and impact of new technologies
The process of change and innovation

As a follow up to knowledge they also need to act in a number of areas. They need for example to ensure the vision is clearly articulated, known, shared, understood and acted upon by all persons involved with the education process. They also need to ensure that the vision is informed by relevant futures thinking and that their own practices reflect the values inherent in the vision. The school leader is also seen as having a wider impact beyond the school organisation by engaging in futures and strategic thinking with the internal school community and the wider community.

The full document is available for download as a PDF file at:
http://www.ncsl.org.uk/mediastore/image2/nationalstandards-consultation.pdf

The original article was published on the School Manager Centre's website