Shaping the future of Black school leadership
A network on a mission to create 100 new Black headteachers by 2038.
The 100 Black Headteachers Network was founded in 2023 with one simple mission: to create 100 new Black headteachers in education by 2038.
The network seeks to tackle the persistent underrepresentation of Black leaders in headship.
96% of headteachers are from white ethnic backgrounds while Black ethnic groups are underrepresented among headteachers by 75%, according to National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) findings.
With this in mind, the 100 Black Headteachers’ Network enables Black senior leaders to meet regularly and hear experienced leaders share their own leadership advice and support each other towards headship with confidence, clarity and readiness.
Three have already become headteachers, more have gained promotions and right now, we’re expanding our network even further.
More than a network
At the heart of this network and its 2038 mission is community, connection and development.
Spaces are created where leaders can be both professional and human, rooted in safety and solidarity.
Through leadership events, coaching, peer support and access to influential figures across the education system, members are equipped for not just future headship, but for immediate leadership impact.
To bring to life the experience of being a member and the immediate impact of the network on individuals and the wider sector; we asked one of the co-chairs and some of the members to tell us about their experiences in the 100 Black Headteachers Network.
Hear from members of the network
Aaron Collingwoode-Williams, Co-Chair of the 100 Black Headteachers Network
Aaron is one of the Co-Chairs of the network, alongside Claudenia Williams, and is a Senior Vice Principal at a school in London.
“A few years back, the idea of the 100 Black Headteachers Network was just a conversation between a handful of leaders who believed the system could, and should, look different.
Supporting the network as a founding member has been one of the most powerful leadership experiences of my career.
What began as a small group navigating the complexities of senior leadership together has grown into a community built on challenge, encouragement and accountability.
Today, serving as co-chair, I have had the privilege of watching that small circle grow into a network of leaders supporting one another while shaping the system around them.
As we often say, “iron sharpens iron.”
What makes the 100 Black Headteachers Network different from other leadership spaces is the depth of honesty and collective ambition.
It is a place of belief, challenge and belonging united by a mission to add 100 more Black headteachers by 2038.
You are not just joining a network. You are joining a community that expects you to lead.
I have seen members step into promotions, lead transformational work in their schools and take confident steps toward headship with the backing of this community behind them.
When you walk into the room you quickly realise you are not just joining a network. You are joining a community that expects you to lead.”
Azeez Braimah, member of the 100 Black Headteachers Network
“What struck me straight away when I joined this academic year was the warmth of the welcome.
It provided a sense of grounding I didn’t realise I needed.
Getting really stuck into the day-to-day of my role in school is great, but I don’t always have the mental bandwidth to be strategic on a larger scale.
Having lecture and learn sessions with 100BHs, along with the ongoing conversations I find myself swept up in through group chats and check-ins with members, has meant that my strategic brain is never fully disengaged anymore, and I’m always thinking about the future."
Azeez Braimah joined in September 2025 and has already seen the impact of the network in his work and career.
"What has really stood out to me is the vulnerability amongst the group members.
I’ve been surprised, in the best way, that a space has been created where members feel comfortable sharing not just their experiences of the barriers in education, but also their life journeys.
I think it’s true that, as Black senior leaders, it’s rarely a ‘straight path’ to get to our current level, and being able to name that in a constructive and healthy way, whilst also framing it through the lens of “how can we prevent this from being a barrier in the future?”, is what makes this support feel truly genuine and helpful.
It’s been the 'oh, snap! Me, too!' moments in those conversations where I’ve thought to myself, 'this is my community'.
I’ve also been struck by the production value and effort behind the events.
The venues for the lecture and learn sessions (and dinner) are astonishing.
I walk into these fancy offices in central London, a different location each time, and instantly feel like a big shot.
It’s a small but meaningful reminder that the organisers are fully bought in, want to invest in us, and believe in both us and the mission we’ve set out to accomplish.
In terms of early impact, as is the case for many Black senior leaders, the reality is that at some point every week we walk into a meeting with other senior leaders and are one of a very small number; in my case, the only Black person in the room.
As much as that doesn’t matter in the moment when you’re wrestling with your team about the highest-leverage actions for the next phase of school improvement, the feeling never fully goes away.
Meeting others in the network and discussing their experiences of that phenomenon, particularly with those further along in their leadership journey than I am, has really helped me battle the shred of self-doubt that sometimes creeps to the surface.
Knowing I’m not alone in that experience, and being able to process it in a mature and thoughtful way, has made me a more confident leader and constantly reminds me that, in that moment, being the minority is not a burden, it’s my super strength and is highly valuable to the team.
Being the minority is not a burden, it’s my super strength.
As I continue in the network, I’m looking forward to learning even more.
My head is being filled with powerful ideas: I’m understanding education more deeply, understanding the type of culture I want to both cultivate and be part of, understanding what my strategic and philosophical anchors are, and the type of leader I want to become.
I’m thankful for the opportunity that 100BHs has afforded me to do exactly that.”
Iesha Small, member of the 100 Black Headteachers Network
“I joined 100 Black Headteachers because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a Headteacher but I was encouraged by my boss, Yansé Cooper, who is a member and had recently become a Principal herself.
I hoped to find people with a social conscience, high expectations and a sense of community while also understanding the unique and sometimes isolating experience of being a senior leader who is also Black in English schools.
It’s impacted my career confidence and we regularly share resources to help practically with our day-to-day leadership as well as interview prep and access to an excellent coach for our own development.
It’s one of the best forms of leadership development I’ve ever done.
I highly recommend joining, it’s one of the best forms of leadership development I’ve ever done.
Also, the termly dinners where we laugh, joke and connect with influential sector leaders are chefs kiss.”
Apply to join the network
If you’re a Black senior leader who is aspiring to headship and are looking for development opportunities alongside a supportive community of like-minded people, the 100 Black Headteachers Network could be perfect for you.
Until Sunday 19 April, we are accepting applications to join the network.