The nine measured criteria in the award are:

Courage and conviction
Demonstrating an urgent and uncompromising belief in the difference their school can make to children’s futures.

Enduring resilience
Headteachers need stamina. They must be able to keep going despite obstacles and distractions, maintaining a sense of realistic optimism.

Community engagement
A sensitivity to the varied needs and aspirations of individuals lies at the core of this quality.

Open and connected leadership
Successful headteachers listen to staff, pupils and parents, actively seeking out their views and building them into a vision for the school.

Focused vision and simplicity (cutting through complexity)
The effective urban head cuts through the complexity to reveal the real priorities for the school, articulating a clear, compelling and realistic vision of success.

Consistency and accountability
A stable learning environment is built upon a consistent approach to teaching and behaviour management, applied across the whole school.

Leading learning innovation
Effective headteachers in urban environments have a living involvement in teaching and learning.

Purposeful and responsive influencing
Heads need to articulate a compelling vision and persuade and influence others for the benefit of their school. They must tailor their language and tactics to suit diverse audiences.

Filtering judging and acting
The confidence to act in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity, along with the experience to make wise choices.

The award has been created by: the National College for School Leadership with support from the Department for Education and Skills, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, London Challenge and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit.

CEA@Islington news release Thursday 16th March 2006