The Association of Head Mistresses (AHM) was founded in 1874. The Headmasters' Association (HMA) was founded in 1890. The Secondary Heads Association was formed in 1977 by the amalgamation of these two organisations. In 1983, deputy heads were allowed to join with other senior teaching staff following in the early 1990s and business managers in 2005. By 2005, two-thirds of the membership were not heads but other senior staff, and the association also had a membership in the college sector, so the name was changed in January 2006 to the current name.^[1]

The ASCL's membership is formed of headteachers, principals, deputy heads, vice-principals, assistant heads, assistant principals, business managers and other senior post holders in schools and colleges. There are also some members in other education posts of similar seniority. ASCL has accepted members from primary schools since July 2015. It has members in every type of school including community, foundation, trust, academy, voluntary, independent, grammar, comprehensive, and special schools, and also in FE and sixth form colleges both maintained and independent. It has at least one member from virtually all such schools and colleges, in the great majority including the headteacher or principal. Members in Wales and Northern Ireland are represented by ASCL Cymru and ASCL Northern Ireland respectively, and ASCL is affiliated to School Leaders Scotland (SLS).^{[2][citation needed]}

The Association of School and College Leaders has as its ruling parliament a group of elected members collectively known as council. It is at council that association policy is determined. It is from council that national officers, including the president, are elected.
The President, Vice-President and Immediate Past President, collectively known as the Presidential trio, lead ASCL in conjunction with the General Secretary.
Other senior staff include:

• Richard Tanton, Member Support Director.
• Julie McCulloch, Policy Director.
• Steve Kind, Finance and Operations Director.
• Kcarrie Valentine, Head of ASCL Professional Development

There are 40 staff at the association's HQ in Regent Road, Leicester, and a further 48 across the UK.
ASCL has a training section called ASCL Professional Development.

The current Presidential trio consists of Pepe Di'lasio (President), Evelyn Forde (Vice-President) and Rachael Warwick (Immediate Past President).

• 2020/2021 Richard Sheriff
• 2019/2020 Rachael Warwick
• 2018/2019 Richard Sheriff
• 2017/18 Carl Ward
• 2016/17 Sian Carr
• 2015/16 Allan Foulds
• 2014/15 Peter Kent
• 2013/14 Sir Ian Bauckham CBE
• 2012/13 Sir Michael Griffiths
• 2011/12 Dame Joan McVittie
• 2010/11 John Fairhurst
• 2009/10 John Morgan
• 2008/09 Jane Lees CBE
• 2007/08 Brian Lightman
• 2006/07 Malcolm Trobe CBE
• 2005/06 Sue Kirkham

ASCL has corporate membership agreements with HMC, GSA, SLS and SofH.

• ASCL Official Site
• SLS Official Site
• SoH Official Site
• HMC Official Site
• GSA Official Site
• Catalogue of the AHM archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
• Catalogue of the HMA archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick

Video clips edit

• ASCL YouTube channel
• ASCL Vimeo channel

News items edit

• Improve children's mental health care, head teachers urge
• Teacher shortage and pupil surge creating 'perfect storm' in UK schools
• Advice for schools on helping fasting Muslim pupils through Ramadan
• 'Cuts to the post-16 sector are turning it into a Cinderella service - and no one seems to have noticed'