**2. The problem statement**

In an effort to raise educational standards in Botswana, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development has consistently worked to improve school management at all levels. One such effort at the primary school level was the PSMD (Primary Schools Management Development Programme), which aimed to improve primary education through better leadership.

The PSMDP, which was partially in response to the RNPE (Revised National Policy on Education) of 1994, stated that the head, in their capacity as instructional leaders,

*Leadership-Advancing Great Leadership Practices and Good Leaders: Developing Good School… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108002*

along with the deputy and senior teachers, should assume primary responsibility for in-service training for teachers within the schools, through routine observation of teachers and the organization of workshops, to foster communication between teachers of professional matters and to address weakness (Republic of Botswana, 1994, p.47).

The results of these efforts are shown by the Botswana Examination Council Reports from 2015 to 2020, which show that 7.6% of the 91 primary schools in the Kweneng Region achieve an average of 81.5% in the ABC category in the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). These outcomes demonstrate the academic success of these primary schools. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which these primary school heads in the Kweneng Region excel as leaders by examining their teacher professional development, leadership skills, and academic performance. The first of the study's two main research questions was: Which headship teacher professional development leadership proficiencies contribute to high academic performance among learners in rural primary schools in the Kweneng Region? and 2. How do headship teacher professional development leadership proficiencies that account for good learners' academic performance make school heads excellent leaders in rural primary schools of the Kweneng Region?
