A MASTER’S degree course – the first of its kind in the West Midlands - has been launched at a Halesowen school to boost leadership and innovation among teachers.

The ground-breaking development is being run at Windsor High School and Sixth Form with the course open to the academy’s five primary and secondary schools in Halesowen and Walsall.

The Windsor Academy Trust has teamed up with the University of West London’s Academy for Innovation, to deliver the qualification aimed at challenging and equipping staff to “flourish and lead in a rapidly changing education landscape”.

A trust spokesman said: “The master’s degree will ensure that the Windsor Academy Trust has the capacity to grow and further drive school improvement across the family of schools.”

The first eight teachers taking the qualification will be able to access the latest international research on leadership and innovation and explore cutting-edge educational practice.

The spokesman added: “The participants undertake projects through which they will drive forward improvements in teaching, learning and leadership, which will ultimately enable all students to achieve their unending potential."