inTuition taster: STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

For a sector that prioritises the skills development of learners, are we failing our teams and future leaders? In her research, Giulia D’Ambrosio set out to explore this and outlines where improvements can be made.

Norris and Adam (2017) and, more recently, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (Tahir, 2025) highlight the policy failure in the English further education (FE) system, describing it as chaotic with frequent policy change alongside a long-term decline in resources, which all add to the pressure on leaders. The challenges faced by this group of employees and the sector are both perennial and new, strategic and operational, with the most cited challenge being the constant change, and the sector being described as trapped in a constant doom loop.

With around 25 per cent of college teachers leaving after a year, retention is a major issue (Education Training Foundation (ETF), 2023). A report that surveyed 3,694 teachers and leaders in 2020 (Department for Education, 2020) found that the most common reason teachers and leaders gave for leaving the FE sector was ‘poor college management’ (58 per cent). According to Greatbatch and Tate (2018), if the sector is going to tackle these challenges, then it needs to build or develop leadership capacity.

Middle managers/leaders are at the heart of colleges, responsible for translating the vision set out by senior managers into day-to-day operations (Corbett 2022). However, there is limited research on the educational middle manager/leader in FE and no holistic assessment as to what is required to be a highly effective educational middle manager/leader. A study conducted by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the Association of Colleges (2022) states that “without the proper training, middle-tier staff can become overwhelmed by struggles associated with people management and lack of resources”. 

A modern college leadership needs modern development, and the sector needs to find out what that looks like for middle managers who will become the senior leaders of the future. It is vital for this group of future leaders, and for the success of the sector, to understand and support their development.

These emerging leadership challenges are set against a backdrop of advances in technology, changing political priorities and demographics, and a challenging economic climate in the UK. Therefore, to ensure our leaders are armed with the right skills to meet the demands of leading within the sector, this research aims to explore the main leadership and management skills needs for middle managers/leaders within the FE sector. It will assess the extent to which organisations have a structured leadership and management professional development strategy, and how well the content and structure meets the needs of this group of employees.

Approach and key findings

In the preliminary stages of this research, I held pilot interviews with eight stakeholders, middle leaders, senior leaders and executive leaders to determine the leadership and development opportunities, challenges and barriers in their organisations. From these discussions, several key themes were identified, which highlighted the unprecedented challenges faced by middle leaders in the sector.

Using a mixed methodology of questionnaires and focus group interviews of up to 50 leaders from across Lancashire FE colleges, the subsequent research seeks to suggest evidence-based recommendations to support the leadership and management development for middle managers/leaders within the FE sector.

First, it became apparent that defining the role of a middle manager is difficult, due to the complexity of the role. This raises the question of the complexity of their training and developmental needs. Added to this was the understanding about what leadership and management is and whether middle managers are classed as managers or leaders. This debate is alive in academic scholarship, with many arguing that leadership and management are seamlessly linked and that often both sets of skills are required to succeed as a manager. 

The term ‘middle manager’ has a meaning that varies across educational sectors and systems (Anderson et al, 2003). How some participants view their positions was also found to be conflicting, as many feel like managers, not leaders, due to the lack of autonomy within their roles. However, this is not a new debate in the sector. Over 25 years ago, Gunter (2001) highlighted the need for the role of middle managers within education to be defined; however, to date, there is still no recognised definition. 

Second, a recurring theme was resourcing – recruitment, sickness and retention – which is a major challenge across the sector. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2025) suggests that “leaders must have the right skills to carry their diverse responsibilities; they need to access specialised training before taking up their role and receive support throughout their career through mentoring and professional development”. 

This is the opposite of what many curriculum leaders I interviewed face. They are often left to ‘sink or swim’ and become reluctant to prioritise their own needs due to the pressures of their roles, with so many other important demands taking priority. 

Many middle managers are unable to complete their roles to the expected standard due to having to manage the situation and perhaps even cover other duties, ultimately impacting on the learner and staff experience.

Such additional workload makes any professional development – particularly leadership and management development – nearly impossible to prioritise. This is echoed by Dad (2016), who highlighted the lack of meaningful staff development training for curriculum middle managers when appointed. In some cases, no training needs analysis is undertaken to support newly appointed curriculum middle managers.

In summary…

Through speaking to colleagues in the FE sector at varying levels, it is apparent that they need the clarity on their role, pathways to progression and time and investment to be able to reach their full potential as the future leaders of the sector. If not, then the leadership challenge will only be exacerbated further.

While there are CPD options through pathways such as the senior leadership apprenticeship and accredited courses available through the Chartered Management Institute and the ILM, these pathways are universal and may not be suited to the needs of middle managers in FE.

ETF also provides specific pathways, including ‘stepping into leadership’ and ‘middle management development’, along with Professional Standards for different levels of leadership. However, findings to date suggest that a lack of funding and competing priorities for time are barriers for most middle leaders. Not only do FE and skills institutions need to provide space and time for middle leaders to access CPD, but there is also a need for providers to develop specific and meaningful CPD for this group.

From the preliminary research and my own experience of delivering an in-house development programme for middle managers in an FE college underpinned by an ILM qualification, I am now seeking to identify the leadership and management skills needs for middle managers and leaders within the FE sector. I plan to explore the extent to which organisations have, and can, develop a structured leadership and management professional development programme to futureproof the sector.

Giulia D’Ambrosio is a work-based tutor in business and professional service at Preston’s College.

References

• Anderson J, Brown S and Race P. (2003) Supporting Middle Managers in Colleges. London: Learning and Skills Development Agency.
• Corbett S. (2022) Establishing professional expectations in further education middle management: the human resource manager’s perspective. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 50(6): 911-927.
• Dad F. (2016) Further education policy and context: the relationship between curriculum middle managers’ leadership practice and quality improvement. PhD thesis. University of Worcester.
• Department for Education. (2020) Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders: wave 1 research report. London: Department for Education.
• ETF. (2023) Sector Spotlight 2023. London: ETF.
• Gunter H. (2001) Leaders and Leadership in Education. London: Chapman.
• Greatbatch D and Tate S. (2018) Teaching, Leadership and Governance in Further Education. London: Department for Education.
• Institute of Leadership and Management and Association of Colleges. (2022) Attracting, sustaining and developing middle leaders in English further education.
• See: i-l-m.com/-/media/ilm-website/documents/middle-leaders-ilm-and-aoc-pdf.ashx
• Norris E and Adam R. (2017) All Change: why Britain is so prone to policy reinvention, and what can be done about it. London: Institute for Government
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2025) Skills Outlook 2025. Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
• Tahir I. (2025) Why 2025 Is a Critical Year for FE Funding.London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.