Welcome to the new website of the Kent Association of Leaders in Education (KALE).
Ashley Crittenden
KALE represents the leaders of schools and FE Colleges in Kent. It brings together the collective voice of Headteachers, Executive Headteachers, CEOs, Principals and others representing early years, primary, secondary and post-16 as well as Special Schools, Pupil Referral Units and other alternative curriculum providers.
I am a passionate and experienced leader, having been a headteacher for the past 17 years, also working as a coach and an educational consultant during this time. My educational passions include SEND, behaviour and parental engagement
Having been part of one of the Area Boards since 2018, Area Board Chair since 2020 and a member of several KALE Working Groups, I am delighted to be taking on the role of Chair. I know how valuable KAH/KALE can be as an organisation, supporting and connecting leaders across Kent to improve the lives of our learners.
Our Vision
Collaboration between education leaders from schools, colleges and the local authority leads to continuous improvement in the quality of education for children and young people across Kent.
Our Aims
KALE aims to ensure that:
- All education leaders in Kent are able to access professional and personal support
- Education policy in Kent is informed by the expertise, views and ideas of education leaders
To deliver on these aims we:
- connect education leaders with each other through conferences, events, workshops and peer networks, so that they can share information, insights and experience and support each other, especially through difficult challenges
- operate a representative model, with area- and county-wide Boards to facilitate shared discussion
- collaborate closely with KCC to ensure that county-wide education policy is co-constructed
Our Ethos
We believe that:
- Every child and young person studying in Kent deserves the very best education
- Leaders doing challenging jobs benefit from the support of, and connection with, their peers
- Attending to the personal and professional development of leaders results in school improvement
- Collaboration, across phases and types of education and with local, regional and national policymakers improves the quality of education