The Circles

Your programme is ending. Your community isn’t.

A private leadership community for school leaders worldwide. Monthly live sessions with Shane Leaning, fortnightly provocations, and the coaching circles you built in the Intensive, all in one quiet space designed to keep your practice alive.

Why we built it

Leadership can be isolating. Most CPD ends. This doesn’t.

School leadership is a job most of the people around you can’t fully see into. The systems you set up in the Intensive only stick if you have somewhere to keep showing up. The Circles is that place. Quiet, small, real conversation. No noise.

The Circles: a private community where Education Leaders members meet monthly on live video calls
What’s inside

Four things, used every month.

Monthly live session with Shane

One hour, one lever. Real discussion about what’s working and what isn’t. Recorded if you can’t make it.

Fortnightly provocations

Short posts from Shane every other week to keep your thinking and your practice alive between sessions.

Podcasts and newsletters, first

New podcast episodes and Sunday-email content land here first, with proper discussion around them.

Your coaching circles, still running

The trio of peers you were matched with in the Intensive carries on inside The Circles. Same people, new home.

By design

What you won’t find here.

The Circles is built around what we actually use ourselves. Which means a lot of community-product clichés didn’t make the cut.

  • No noisy main channel. No one needs another red dot.
  • No tiers. One membership, everything included.
  • No outside selling. No one is allowed to pitch the room.
  • No public profiles. Your school name stays inside.

“It is not a case of when you finish the course your learning is finished, far from it. I feel emboldened to apply what I have learned and know that, if needed, Shane will be willing to support as well.”

Jerome Lally · Instructional Coach, Daystar Academy

“I’ve had the pleasure of being coached by Shane. An excellent coach: listens, questions, supports and encourages. I would highly recommend working with him.”

Freya Odell · Head of IB English, Brighton College Vietnam

From LinkedIn recommendations, lightly edited for clarity.

Who’s in the room

Forming, deliberately small.

Heads of school, deputy heads, directors of learning, principals, EAL leads and coaches. We launched The Circles with Cohort 1 of the Intensive in early 2026. New members join as Academy cohorts complete. The point is small, real, growing slowly.

25
Members in the founding
cohort (Jan to Apr 2026)
12
Live monthly sessions
with Shane every year
24
Fortnightly provocations
to keep practice alive
Coaching circles
that keep running
How to join

One way in. Do the work.

The Circles is alumni-only. Finish the Intensive or an Academy programme and your access opens automatically. Graduates get a free trial of the community as part of their programme; continuing membership is open after that. No application, no fuss.

Already an alumna or alumnus and can’t find your invite? Email Shane.