The purpose of education is character building, fostering a culture of curiosity, empathy and leadership among its students. School Leadership Programmes play a significant role in improving teaching learning process in school education. In the school system, leadership is generally accepted as having a critical role in supporting school improvement. Research studies reveal that the effect of leadership is more pronounced in schools that are in difficult circumstanceswith limited resources coupled with increased expectations from parents and community. This calls for equipping school leaders with surfeit of skills and knowledge that enable them to critically analyze the challenges faced by and opportunities available to school in the prevailing conditions (NUEPA, 2014).The studies also emphasize the intervention of a powerful leader who can navigate and negotiate the challenging contexts to lead schools and improve student learning. These evidences support the belief that leadership is the key to school improvement and in bringing about improvement in student achievement. With the current changing expectations from schools wherein there is a renewed thrust on improving the quality of education, the role of an instructional leader demands attention. The present article discusses the education policy thrust areas on the role of leadership for improving student learning in the Indian school context; and explores innovative practices to improve school leadership progrmmes with a view to bring about quality in school education.