This report provides an overview of findings from the independent national evaluation of the City Challenge Leadership Strategies. The evaluation was carried out between November 2009 and March 2011 by a team from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) with funding from the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services (the National College). Detailed findings relating to the Leadership Strategies in the Black Country, Greater Manchester and London are available in three separate area reports. City Challenge Leadership Strategies were designed to break the cycle of under-achievement among disadvantaged pupils in primary and secondary schools in the urban regions of London, the Black Country and Greater Manchester. School leaders were seen as central agents for change and, therefore, city-wide Leadership Strategies were a major element of the wider City Challenge initiative. Based on the concept of school-to-school support (system leadership), these strategies promote a more systemic approach to the sharing of expertise and knowledge amongst school leaders, local authorities and other stakeholders through local networks
