In the further education sector, leadership development is often treated as a box to tick. A course here. A workshop there. A new initiative every few years. But what if leadership development could be something more?
Something that drives tangible, measurable improvements – not just in people, but in performance, curriculum, finances, and student outcomes?
That’s exactly what Barnsley College set out to achieve.
From high-performing to high-impact
Barnsley College has long been recognised as a high-performing institution. But instead of maintaining the status quo, the college’s leadership team made a bold decision: to evolve.
They wanted to build a culture of high-performance leadership across every department – one that could meet future challenges, empower managers, and unlock improvement from within.
The need was clear: develop consistent leadership capability across both curriculum and service areas, particularly at Head of Department level – where responsibilities span finance, staffing, curriculum design, and student outcomes.
With a mix of experienced and newer managers, they needed a shared leadership language. A practical toolkit. And a proven framework to think and act more effectively.
So they partnered with Go M.A.D. Thinking.
The results: 106 improvements in one year (and counting)
The impact was rapid and measurable:
- 106 improvements delivered across the organisation in the first year
- 27 more in progress, with actions aligned to goals through 2026 and beyond
- Increased employer involvement in curriculum design and delivery
- Improved student achievement rates and internal progression
- Enhanced staff satisfaction and improved recruitment
- Over a third of improvements had direct financial benefit
- Greater leadership confidence and consistency across 50+ managers
“What we’re really proud of is that the vast majority of this transformation was delivered by our own people.
The Go M.A.D. methodology gave us the thinking tools and frameworks – but the change was led from within.”
— Neil Johnson, Director of High Performance, Barnsley College
Not a programme. A performance shift.
This wasn’t just a leadership programme. It was a catalyst for a cultural shift in how leadership, performance, and development are understood across the college.
Three senior leaders were trained to become internal Continuous Improvement Coaches, embedding Go M.A.D. Thinking tools into everyday practice. One-to-one coaching, strategic workshops, 90-day improvement challenges, and peer learning helped Heads of Department identify blockers to excellence – and do something about them.
Over 700 leadership actions have now been set. More than 230 have already been completed – many resulting in lasting performance change.
From appraisals to ownership
One of the biggest shifts? Moving away from traditional performance management.
The college replaced its appraisal system with a Five-by-Five continuous development model. Every staff member now identifies their own next steps – aligned to their role, goals, and the support they need.
It’s not just development planning. It’s development ownership.
What’s next: Expanding impact
Building on the success of its leadership transformation, Barnsley College is now:
- Rolling out thinking tools to all staff to empower every role
- Embedding frameworks into student learning, helping learners become proactive, independent thinkers
- Exploring impact beyond the college, using Go M.A.D. Thinking to support local SME partners
This isn’t a one-off. It’s a long-term commitment to better thinking at every level.
Read the full case study : Building a culture of high-performance leadership in the FE sector
Want to explore how this could work in your college?
Join us on 9th October 2025 at our FE Leadership Discovery Day – a one-day, interactive event designed specifically for Vice Principals and HR/OD leaders in further education.
You’ll explore the exact thinking frameworks Barnsley used, hear their full transformation story, and gain practical tools to embed leadership capability and drive improvement across your organisation.
