The Scottish Government is continuing to support the the Head Teachers' Leadership Academies (HTLA), run by Columba 1400, which is helping school leaders develop their skills and improve job satisfaction.

£395,000 of Scottish Government funding will go into the HTLA, which will be matched by the Hunter Foundation.

This brings total Scottish Government support for Columba 1400’s HTLAs to £790,000 since 2025-26, with this year’s funding expected to help up to 280 school leaders to develop their leadership skills.

Recent evaluation of the Leadership Academies revealed 2,000 headteachers and school leaders have already benefitted from the training, with participants reporting increased confidence and resilience, and improvements in their leadership abilities.

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “It is fantastic that 2,000 school leaders have already benefitted from the programme, returning to schools to deliver the progress we have seen, reflected in the rising attainment and narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap in this year’s Qualification Scotland results. Hundreds more opportunities for development will be available through our continued support for the programme.”

Sir Tom Hunter said: “The Hunter Foundation has backed the Head Teachers' Leadership Academy from day one because we know that leadership matters. We're delighted that the Scottish Government has renewed its commitment to this partnership. If we want the best outcomes for Scotland's young people, we need to invest in the people who lead our schools. Strong leadership creates opportunities, raises aspirations and makes a lasting difference in communities across the country.”