Developing the next generation of headteachers for Greater Manchester.

A place-based leadership programme for aspiring headteachers committed to leading schools, communities and systems across Greater Manchester.

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What is the GM100?

The GM100 is a selective leadership development programme for aspiring headteachers working across Greater Manchester.

It brings together future school leaders from primary, secondary, special and alternative provision to develop the judgement, confidence and civic leadership required to lead well in one of England’s most complex and ambitious city-regions.

The programme is built on a simple belief: leadership pipelines are strengthened when organisations work together, not in isolation.

Why the GM100 exists

Greater Manchester is a region shaped by sharp contrasts:

Rapid growth alongside entrenched disadvantage; devolved ambition alongside national accountability; selective and non-selective systems operating side by side; deeply rooted communities living, at times, parallel lives.

School leaders here are more than institutional leaders; they are civic leaders—navigating boundaries between boroughs, systems, cultures and policies, while holding schools steady in the face of local pressure.

The GM100 exists because this work cannot be learnt in abstraction.

It requires leaders who understand place. Who can align their schools with the region’s ambitions for good lives, inclusive growth and opportunity, while protecting what matters most inside our school gates.

Partnership at the heart

The GM100 is founded and led through a unique partnership of organisations across Greater Manchester.

Trusts, local authorities and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority come together—transcending institutional boundaries—to invest collectively in the next generation of headteachers for the region.

This professional generosity and shared stewardship is central to the programme’s design and impact. GM100 is built with the system, not imposed upon it.

  • Focus Trust

    A primary-focused multi-academy trust operating across the North West and West Yorkshire, driven by the mission of "learning together, making the difference" through its values of care, dare, fair, and share.

  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority

    Aligning education leadership with the region’s wider ambitions for good lives, inclusive growth and system collaboration.

  • Greater Manchester Education Trust

    Supporting cross-sector collaboration and leadership development across the region.

  • Manchester City Council

    Championing education as a cornerstone of the city’s growth, inclusion and opportunity for all young people.

  • Rochdale Council

    Committed to developing leaders who can navigate complexity and serve diverse communities with confidence and care.

  • Salford City Council

    Supporting school leadership as a vital civic function within a rapidly changing urban landscape.

  • Stockport Council

    Partnering to build sustainable leadership pipelines across a diverse and evolving borough.

  • Star Academies

    Bringing deep expertise in values-led leadership and high-impact schooling.

  • Wise Owl Trust

    Contributing a strong commitment to inclusive practice and leadership development across diverse settings.

How it works

The GM100 blends challenge and support through a carefully designed set of learning experiences that develop leaders for now and for headship.

  • We believe that leadership is always shaped by place.

    This means that learning is grounded in the specific social, economic and civic context of Greater Manchester, helping leaders develop judgement that makes sense here—not in abstraction.

  • We believe that nobody is as smart as everybody.

    This means that we intentionally bring together leaders from primary, secondary, special and AP settings across different boroughs, creating richer learning through diverse perspectives and shared challenge.

  • We believe that seeing leadership enacted matters.

    This means that participants learn directly from experienced headteachers and system leaders, observing how values, culture and consistency are lived out in real schools and complex contexts.

  • We believe that growth requires space to think, not just to do.

    This means that the programme creates deliberate time for reflection—helping leaders clarify their values, strengthen their judgement, and connect daily decisions to long-term impact.

  • We believe that leadership development is personal as well as collective.

    This means that participants can access one-to-one coaching to test ideas, work through challenges, and deepen their confidence as leaders—alongside the shared learning of the cohort.

What it involves

The GM100 runs over one academic year. The structure is demanding at times, reflective at others, and designed to be sustainable alongside a senior leadership role in school.

Together, our touchpoints are designed to shift how leaders see their role, how they work with others, and how they lead over time.

Further information about what happens when, can be found here.

  • To build trust, shared purpose and a common language for the year ahead, grounding participants in place, relationships and the realities of headship before focusing on technique or performance.

  • To deepen leaders’ thinking, introduce new perspectives, and create structured opportunities to reflect on practice alongside peers facing similar challenges.

  • To broaden leaders’ mental models of what is possible by seeing excellent practice in context, and to support thoughtful adaptation rather than replication.

  • To provide a shared, ongoing learning space where participants engage with curated content, reflect on practice, and stay connected between live touchpoints, reinforcing insight, relationships and momentum over time.

  • To connect learning directly to lived leadership by supporting participants to practise real decision-making, judgement and prioritisation in their own settings.

  • To consolidate learning, reflect on growth, and support participants to translate insight into sustained leadership action beyond the programme year.

Who the GM100 is for

The GM100 is for leaders who:

  • Aspire to headship within the next few years

  • Are committed to leading in Greater Manchester

  • Want to grow as leaders now, not just prepare for later

  • Value collaboration across phases, sectors and boroughs

  • Are motivated by moral purpose as well as excellence

Participants come from a wide range of roles and settings, united by a shared commitment to children, communities and place.

What the GM100 asks of you

The GM100 is demanding and developmental.

Participants are asked to:

  • Commit time and energy across the year

  • Engage fully in cohort learning and reflection

  • Be open to challenge and feedback

  • Contribute generously to the learning of others

  • Remain rooted in their current role while preparing for future leadership

This is a programme for leaders who want to grow with intention.

What changes as a result?

When the GM100 works well, we see change at three interconnected levels. Together, these changes improve the conditions in which all children in Greater Manchester learn and thrive.

Transformative change

Participants gain clarity about their purpose, confidence in their judgement, and readiness for headship.

Relational change

Trust deepens across schools, sectors and boroughs, strengthening the region’s leadership fabric.

Structural change

And the GM100 does not ‘end’ with the closing residential.

Our Alumni remain part of a growing regional and national network, with opportunities to:

  • Stay connected to peers across cohorts

  • Contribute to future programmes

  • Access ongoing learning and events

  • Play a role in strengthening leadership capacity across the region

For many participants, the programme marks the beginning—not the end—of their involvement in the GM100 community.

Leadership pipelines strengthen, and organisations become better equipped to sustain improvement over time.

  • 'I’m not sure I’ve ever worked so hard and had more fun at the same time. Seeing outstanding practice and having time to reflect on what it means for my own leadership was invaluable.'

    —Participant

  • 'I was out of my comfort zone a lot—and that was a good thing. I was inspired by meeting people who were just as passionate and aligned to my ethos of supporting pupils and families experiencing disadvantage.'

    —Participant

  • '[...] continues to lead the school with remarkable vision, clarity and compassion. His ability to bring people together and communicate a clear sense of purpose means everyone feels part of the same journey. Drawing on his x100 learning, he leads with quiet confidence and strong values.'

    —Sponsor

  • 'It was a privilege to have access to leaders and learn directly from them. Each visit added more ‘tools’ to my leadership toolbox, especially seeing schools beyond (the region) in different contexts.'

    —Participant

  • 'What I’ve learnt has given me clear direction on how to make connections, understand the community and listen actively. This course is not only empowering me to lead now, but preparing me to be a headteacher.'

    —Participant

  • '[...]'s engagement with the x100 has already had a significant impact. She has quickly forged strong relationships with local schools and shows a genuine passion for understanding the needs of pupils in our area. Her work sets a brilliant standard for proactive community engagement.'

    —Sponsor

  • 'I feel like I genuinely took something from each school we visited. Meeting exceptional leaders made me reflect deeply on the kind of leader I want to be.'

    —Participant

  • '[...] has been successful in gaining his first headship, which is richly deserved. He has all the attributes of a wonderful Headteacher. While we will miss him immensely, we are excited to see him take this next step.'

    —Sponsor

Meet the Yorks100 team

  • Leonie Rattie

    Programme Lead

    Leonie is The Reach Foundation’s Regional Director for the North West, and GM100 Programme Lead. She works with school, trust and local leaders across the region to build insight, action, and strong networks of people committed to unleashing the potential within every child.

  • Shelley Gonsalves

    Programme Director

    Shelley leads leadership development at The Reach Foundation, shaping the x100s and LeadingTrusts programmes and overseeing coaching and personal development. She brings a deep belief in education’s transformative power and a commitment to helping leaders grow with confidence, connection and purpose.

Stewardship

The GM100 belongs to a wider family of “x100s” leadership development programmes.

If you are considering headship in Greater Manchester—or supporting future headteachers within your school or trust—it may be the right place to start.