Phase leader: role and responsibilities

Get to grips with the nature of the role and the responsibilities of a phase leader or Key Stage leader, so you can develop an effective model of middle leadership.

Last reviewed on 10 February 2022
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 10550
Contents
  1. Overview of the role 
  2. Example of a phase leader's duties

Overview of the role 

A phase leader, or Key Stage leader, is usually responsible for the following within their phase:

  • Leadership and management of the curriculum
  • Delivering high-quality teaching
  • Using resources effectively 
  • Contributing to whole-school self-evaluation and school improvement planning
  • Developing staff by offering guidance and support, modelling best practices and sharing up-to-date knowledge of current theory and practice

There are no specific statutory requirements for this role. Below you'll find the main duties taken from our model job description for a phase leader, based on the most common duties in a number of schools. 

The duties may look different in your school, depending on the context and the level of responsibility delegated to your middle leaders. 

Strategic development Contribute to strategic decision making, working with school management to share expertise and insight, and help shape the school’s vision Set high expectations for all pupils in the phase, and inspire and motivate staff and pupils to reach and maintain high