Leadership Scholarship programme case study: Jennifer Harding-Richards

 

 

Welsh Language version, English Language version below

Sut mae cymryd rhan yn y Cynllun Ysgoloriaeth Arweinyddiaeth wedi llywio neu drawsnewid eich datblygiad fel arweinydd?

Roeddwn i’n arweinydd canol am nifer o flynyddoedd ac wedi bod yn gyfrifol am fy natblygiad proffesiynol trwy’r cyfnod hwnnw. Cynigiais i am y Rhaglen Arweinyddiaeth er mwyn cryfhau fy sgiliau i arwain gyda phwrpas a chyfandeb yn ystod cyfnod o newid addysgol arwyddocaol yng Nghymru. Daeth cyflwyniad Cwricwlwm i Gymru â chyfleoedd a heriau i CGM ac roeddwn i eisiau sicrhau fy mod i’n gallu cefnogi ysgolion ac athrawon ar draws yr ardal trwy ddarparu CGM o safon uchel oedd yn cwrdd â gofynion dysgwyr. Ces i le a strwythur i ddatblygu fel arweinydd adfeddyliol, moesol â gwerthoedd cryf. Roedd mentora’n drawsnewidiol. Roedd cael rhywun oedd yn deall cyd-destun CGM unigryw yng Nghymru, yn herio fy ffordd o feddwl ac ysbrydoli fy nhaith a chynnydd. Roedd yr adolygiadau yn fy helpu i weld mannau gwan a newid adborth i arferion rheolaidd. Trwy’r rhaglen, ces i fy mrwdfrydedd a phwrpas yn ôl, yn enwedig ynghylch cyfiawnder ac ymarfer yn sgil ymchwil, sydd yn ganolog i fy ngwaith o hyd.

 

Pa ddylanwad cafwyd gan y rhaglen ar eich arferion, eich ysgol neu sefydliad, neu’r crefydd ehangach a chymuned addysgol canfyddiadau’r byd?

Mae’r rhaglen wedi fy nghynorthwyo newid a gwneud gwahaniaeth. Rydw i’n gallu gweithio’n agos gydag ysgolion ar draws yr ardal, yn eu cefnogi nhw gyda chynllunio CGM o fewn Cwricwlwm i Gymru ac adeiladu hyder athrawon trwy ddysgu proffesiynol. Dros y blynyddoedd diweddar, rydw i wedi cynorthwyo a llywio meysydd llafur CGM ac wedi annog cydweithio rhwng rhwydweithiau a grwpiau proffesiynol, yn creu llwybrau i athrawon rannu syniadau a chryfhau cydweithio. Yn genedlaethol, bues i’n cyflwyno yn Symposiwm Gwerthoedd yng Ngholeg y Brenin, Llundain, wedi cychwyn fy rôl fel arweinydd Hybiau AG Cymru a chyd-gadeirydd AREAIAC Cymru. Mae popeth yn cyfrannu at ymdrech ehangach i sicrhau bod athrawon yn teimlo’n hyderus a bod cefnogaeth iddyn nhw wrth ddarparu CGM o safon uchel i bob dysgwr.

 

Beth oedd y mwyaf gwerthfawr am y rhaglen i chi?

Roedd dau beth yn amlwg i fi. Yn gyntaf, y mentora. Roedd cael mentor a oedd wir yn deall cyd-destun CGM unigryw yng Nghymru, yn werth y byd. Roedd ei hyfforddiant arbenigol wedi fy nghynorthwyo cael pen ffordd heriau cymhleth tra chadw dysgwyr ac athrawon wrth wraidd pob penderfyniad, trwy’r amser yn alinio â gweledigaeth Cwricwlwm i Gymru. Yn ail, y teimlad o gymuned, y seminarau, ysgrifennu ar y cyd a rhannu hael cyfoedion a oedd yn rhoi hyder i fi gyhoeddi, cyflwyno ac arwain. Roedd disgwyliadau’r rhaglen yn hwb i fi eirio fy syniadau a chyfrannu’n ystyrlon i’r sustem. Gyda’i gilydd, roedd y profiadau hyn wedi creu dysgu uniongyrchol defnyddiol a rhwydwaith sydd yn tyfu o hyd i gefnogi fy natblygiad proffesiynol, yn bell ar ôl diwedd y sesiynau ffurfiol.

 

I ble mae eich taith wedi’i harwain ers cwblhau’r rhaglen, a sut mae hi wedi’ch cefnogi i’r camau nesaf yn eich gyrfa?

Ers i fi gwblhau’r rhaglen, rydw i wedi derbyn rôl o fewn Tîm Gwella Ysgolion yr Awdurdod Leol, yn arwain CGM ac ACRh oherwydd eu bod nhw’n orfodol yng Nghwricwlwm i Gymru. Ers bod yn rhan o’r tîm, rydw i wedi cael y cyfle i lywio dysgu proffesiynol ar draws yr ardal, yn cynllunio a darparu dysgu proffesiynol sydd yn cefnogi athrawon i gynllunio CGM o safon uchel a theimlo’n hyderus yn eu dysgu ac ymarfer. Hefyd, rydw i wedi bod yn gweithio i adeiladu cynhwysedd a chynaladwyaeth trwy greu rhwydweithiau, mentora cyd-weithwyr ac annog ffyrdd i gydweithio.

Ces i fy sbarduno i ddychwelyd i astudiaethau academaidd o achos y rhaglen. Fel ‘academydd damweiniol’ rydw i’n gweithio ar fy EdD, yn ymchwilio sut mae CGM yn cael ei ddeall a darparu o fewn y Cwricwlwm i Gymru. Rydw i mawr obeithio bydd yr ymchwil hwn yn cefnogi defnydd cynaliadwy a chryfhau arweinyddiaeth ar sail tystiolaeth yn CGM.

Pam y dylai pobl ymgeisio am y Rhaglen Ysgoloriaeth Arweinyddiaeth dych chi’n ei feddwl?

Roedd yn anodd dod o hyd i ddatblygiad proffesiynol i bynciau arbennig, felly roedd y cynllun hwn wir yn newid llwyr. Ces i’r cyfle i ganolbwyntio ar fy nghynnydd proffesiynol fy hun, â chefnogaeth gan fentora ardderchog a chymuned gref o arferion da. Roedd digon o gyfle i fi feddwl, darllen, ysgrifennu ac yn y pendraw, arwain gyda theimlad o bwrpas newydd. Pe byddech chi eisiau datblygu i fod yn arweinydd adfeddyliol a gwneud gwahaniaeth yn eich maes, mae’r cynllun hwn yn cynnig y strwythur, heriau a chefnogaeth i chi lwyddo.

How has taking part in the Leadership Scholarship Programme shaped or transformed your development as a leader?

I was a middle leader for many years and had always taken responsibility for my own professional development. In 2021, I applied for the Leadership Programme to strengthen my ability to lead with purpose and integrity during a period of significant educational change in Wales. The introduction of the Curriculum for Wales brought both opportunities and challenges for RVE, and I wanted to ensure that I could support my department and local schools in delivering high-quality RVE that met our learners’ needs.

The programme provided the space and structure to grow as a reflective, ethical, and values-led leader. The mentoring was transformative, challenging my thinking and championing my progress. Reviews helped me identify blind spots and turn feedback into lasting habits. The programme reignited my sense of purpose, particularly around equity and research-informed practice, principles that remain central to my work.

What impact has the programme had on your practice, your school or organisation, or the wider religion and worldviews education community?

The programme has enabled me to make a real difference. I’ve worked closely with schools across my region, supporting them to plan for RVE within the Curriculum for Wales and building teacher confidence through professional learning. Over recent years, I’ve contributed to shaping RVE Agreed Syllabi and promoted collaboration through networks and professional groups, creating opportunities for teachers to share ideas and strengthen practice. At a national level, I’ve presented at the Values Symposium at King’s College London, taken on the role of RE Hubs Lead for Wales, and become Co-Chair of AREIAC Wales. All this forms part of a wider effort to ensure teachers across my region feel supported and confident in delivering high-quality RVE for every learner.

What did you find most valuable about the programme?

Two things really stood out for me. First, the mentoring. Having a mentor who truly understood the unique context of RVE in Wales was invaluable. Her expert coaching helped me navigate complex challenges while keeping learners and teachers at the heart of every decision, always aligning with the Curriculum for Wales vision. Secondly, the sense of community, the seminars, the collaborative writing and generous peer exchange gave me the confidence to publish, present and lead. The programme’s expectations were a helpful nudge to articulate my thinking and ‘pay forward’ into the system. Together, these experiences created learning that was immediately useful and a network that continues to support my professional growth long after the formal sessions have ended.

Where has your journey taken you since completing the programme, and how has it helped you take the next step in your career?

Since finishing the programme, I’ve stepped into a role with the Local Authority’s School Improvement Team, leading on RVE and RSE as mandatory parts of the Curriculum for Wales. This has given me the chance to shape professional learning across the region, designing and delivering professional learning that helps teachers plan for high-quality RVE and feel confident in their practice. I’ve also worked to build capacity and sustainability by creating networks, mentoring colleagues and encouraging collaborative approaches.

The programme sparked my return to academic study too. As an ‘accidental academic’, I’m now working on my EdD exploring how RVE is understood and delivered within Curriculum for Wales. My hope is that this research will support sustainable implementation and help to strengthen evidence-based leadership in RVE.

Why do you think people should apply to the Leadership Scholarship Programme?

Finding subject-specific professional development as a middle leader was tough, so this programme was a real game-changer. It gave me the chance to focus on my own professional growth, supported by superb mentoring and a strong community of practice. I had the space to think, read, write and, ultimately, lead with a renewed sense of purpose. If you want to grow as a reflective leader and make a real difference in your field, this programme offers the structure, challenge and support to help you do just that.