The Role of the Group Leader

Being the group leader for a TIPD visit provides an exciting opportunity for the senior education professional. Most group leaders have several years experience working in Local Authorities (usually as former teachers) or as practising headteachers. Significant expertise in the topic of the visit is important. It is not necessary that the group leader has had previous international education experience.

Group leaders almost always lead a visit of teachers from their own Local Authority.The visit will usually be made up of teachers from across the LA, or from schools for whom the theme has a particular relevance.

The main role of the group leader is as professional lead for the visiting team, ensuring that the learning of the group, before, during and after the visit is effective and worthwhile. Knowing the schools from which the teachers come enables the group leader to help ensure the relevance of the experience, to link it to other LA and school initiatives and to ensure that participants get the support they need.

The LA coordinator generally acts as the main point of contact for HTI-Merganser before the visit, working closely with the group leader who is responsible once the visit has started. We do our best to ensure that all the logistics of the visit are taken care of, but inevitably sometimes there are new developments or changes where the group response has to be coordinated.

Once the destination and host are confirmed, contact details for the host are passed to the LA coordinator and group leader, so that a dialogue can be developed. Suggestions or specific requests from the visiting team can often be incorporated in the visit arrangements. (We always ask that group leaders keep us informed about these discussions, generally by copying us into e-mails.)