The National College for School Leadership is mapping out a new research agenda (including references to passion) and its website is keeping us up to date with developments at: www.ncslonline.gov.ukncslindex.cfm?pageid=28 The research framework is based on ideas from more than 30 eminent contributors, most of whom can be read online in full.

Birmingham’s director of education Professor Tim Brighouse contributes a paper called “Passionate Leadership” that tackles a long list of issues including: “talking with, not about, staff”; “unexpectedunpredictable acts of thoughtfulness and appreciation”; “telling stories”; and “taking the blame”.

The full text of the paper is at: www.ncslonline.gov.ukncslindex.cfm?pageid=ev_auth_brighouse David Bennett, formerly principal of Sackville community college, in East Grinstead, Sussex, explores “passion and vision”; “personal values”; “inner strength and courage”; “conflict resolution”; and “harnessing the will of others”. His perspective is presented at: www.ncslonline.gov.ukncslindex.cfm?pageid=ev_auth_bennett There are many more ideas than these, however, and the full list of papers is also at: www.ncslonline.gov.ukncslindex.cfm?pageid=ev_contrib The National College for School Leadership itself is to be found at: www.ncslonline.gov.uk Readers can email suggestions for future Internet Insights to Sam Saunders at J.P.Saunders@leeds.ac.uk