This paper tells the story of developments in Ghana, West Africa under the aegis of the Centre for Commonwealth Education in Cambridge. The programme’s purpose is to work in collaboration with partners at the University of Cape Coast to support headteachers in adopting a more learning-centred approach to their role, and to help them address many of barriers which currently impede them from focusing on learning and generating a learning-centred dialogue with their staff, with their students and with parents. There are many obstacles to teaching and learning in Ghanaian schools, and yet there is no structured pre-service preparation for those who are expected to lead and support teaching and learning. Headteachers tend to be appointed on the basis of their teaching experience and seniority. Once in post, training is typically very limited: in the five year period 2002-2007 75% of headteachers in Ghana had received less than a week’s training. What professional development there has been to assist headteachers in their roles has typically been on an ad hoc basis associated with foreign aid initiatives. Headteachers tend to view their role as custodians, guarding resources such as text books, maintaining registers of teachers’ attendance and punctuality, and checking lesson plans. Few view themselves as leaders or have established the link between their headship role and pupil learning. The need to build leadership capacity among headteachers and the lack of leadership preparation have been identified as key issues in improving education in Ghana. A focus on learning and dialogue are two of the five key principles of the Leadership for Learning model, developed through a three year seven country research study. These principles are tested, applied and refined in the Ghanaian context.  Political developments, the colonial legacy and decolonization provide the backdrop to the narrative.

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