Five reasons why you should apply to join West100 Cohort 3
Clara Mason, deputy headteacher at Backwell School, Somerset, described her experience on the West100 as...
“...absolutely transformational in how I think about leadership, how I do my current job and what I want to do in the future. Nothing compares to this programme - I have never had CPD as good or as powerful as this. With the knowledge and experiences you gain, you will be changing the lives of young people in immeasurable ways.”
This might be enough to tempt you to apply to join this intensive, place-based, leadership development programme for aspiring headteachers in the West Country. But to further whet your appetite, here are five reasons why you should.
1. You will develop a deep professional network in the West Country and beyond
When asked what the most impactful part of the West100 has been for them so far, one of the top reasons current West100 participants gave was the opportunity to engage with thoughtful, like-minded leaders working in the same geographical area. All are passionate about tackling educational disadvantage, not only in their respective school communities but across the region as a whole, creating a ready-made professional network. On the programme, you will attend regular in-person sessions together, helping to create a supportive, psychologically safe environment in which you can share challenges, problem solve collectively and rely on each other for advice throughout your careers.
2. You will see best practice in action (both nationally and internationally)
We often say that ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ and the recent Autumn School Study Tour to London schools proved just that. We visited schools across the capital which are closing (or have closed) the disadvantage gap and West100 participants heard from the headteachers who are driving exceptional outcomes for their pupils. From these visits, you will come away feeling challenged (and, at times, provoked), brimming with ideas, and with a more clearly formed vision for the type of headteacher that you want to be. As one participant reflected recently:
“Seeing the impact that exceptionally high expectations can have on the horizons of young people has been game changing. There’s the belief that anything is possible, relentless work that sits around a school vision and the possibility of doing things differently; doing what's right for your own communities.”
3. You will experience regular professional challenge
One of the most recurring pieces of feedback we receive from participants is that they enjoy feeling challenged by the content and ideas they’re exposed to, whether it’s from experts speaking at webinars, school visits and conference days or through the asynchronous online modules which they can work through at their own pace. On our recent journeys back to the West Country from the London School Study Tours, participants were challenging each other on issues such as consistency versus autonomy in the classroom, how to prioritise relationship building alongside teaching and learning, and whether school culture can, in parts, be more flexible. These regular opportunities to test out ideas and challenge assumptions about school leadership will help you to sharpen your values and vision for headship.
4. You will gain time away from school to reflect
We all know how busy headteachers are and it’s often all too easy to find reasons not to take time out to reflect on the day-to-day as well as the longer term strategic plans. Having access to half termly coaching sessions with an accredited leadership coach is therefore something which West100 participants value hugely. The webinars and in-person conference days are also designed to ensure that you have time to reflect individually and as a group, and the three “headteacher tasks” over the course of the year provide opportunities to experience real-life challenges and reflect on how you might approach them as a headteacher.
5. You will hone your “why”
Number five is perhaps the most fundamental of them all: thinking deeply and critically about your “why”. The networks and relationships that you build will support you to realise what makes you tick personally and professionally, what experiences have led you to this point in your career, and what drives your ambitions to be a headteacher. Deeply understanding this “why” will give you the inner confidence to know when to stick to the implementation plan or when to diverge, and when to introduce a new idea or when to double down on what you’re already working on. You will be tested as Head, time and time again, and your passion for supporting pupils to thrive, your self-belief that you’re the right person for the job, and your determination to bring people along with you will be all the stronger if you have a clear “why”.
So there you have it. Five reasons to apply for West100 Cohort 3. If you’re ready, please apply here. If you have any questions, please do drop us an email at west100@reachfoundation.org.uk or come along to one of our online information events on Monday 16th December 2025 19:30-20:15 or Tuesday 14th January 19:30-20:15. Sign up for one of these here.
And finally, we’ll leave you with what Matt Hillier-Brown, recently appointed headteacher of Cadbury Heath Primary School and current West100 participant, is finding most helpful about the West100 so far this year:
“For me, it’s the opportunity to critically analyse a wider aspect to what makes schools tick rather than the normal offer with leadership work. And to do it with great, like-minded people is a real bonus!”