Centre for Research in Educational Leadership and Management
The Centre for Research in Educational Leadership and Management are pleased to announce the first of three launch events. Each event will cover topics that relate to the centre and its research.
More fragmented, and yet more networked: Analysing the responses of two Local Authorities in England to the Coalition’s ‘self-improving school-led system’ reforms
Presented by Professor Toby Greany, Professor of Leadership and Innovation, London Centre for Leadership in Learning, UCL Institute of Education, University College London
This paper explores school reform in England under the Conservative-led Coalition government elected in 2010 through a focus on the changing roles and status of Local Authorities (LAs). The Coalition’s stated aim has been the development of ‘self-improving, school-led’ system in which LAs should become ‘champions for children’. The paper draws on two locality case studies, a set of future scenarios and policy narratives to analyse the ways in which LA and school leaders are responding to reform. The paper concludes that the Coalition has focussed its attention on structural reform, but that this has placed additional onus on leadership agency within local school systems to shape contextually appropriate solutions. The schools in the two areas studied appear to be more fragmented and yet – paradoxically – more networked; however, they are not yet working in the ‘deep partnerships’ envisaged by Hargreaves (2010). This has meant that the LAs have needed to sustain their traditional roles (for example, in providing challenge and support to schools), whilst simultaneously evolving new ways of working (for example, providing ‘bridging social capital’). These roles may sometimes be in tension, but are driven by different factors – LA-level accountability in the case of challenge and support, and reduced funding in the case of ‘bridging social capital’. This suggests that the Coaliton’s conflicting policy narratives are in tension and that the notion of LAs as ‘champions for children’ requires review.
Biography
Toby Greany is Professor of Leadership and Innovation and Director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, UCL Institute for Education. His research interests include system reform and system leadership, school leadership and improvement and the nature and impact of evidence informed practice. He has led or participated in recent research and evaluation studies funded by: Association of School and College Leaders; Department for Education; Education Endowment Foundation; Education Select Committee; National College for Teaching and Leadership; Nuffield Foundation; and RCUK / NCCPE.
Before joining the IOE, Toby was Director of Research and Policy at the National College for School Leadership for seven years. He has worked at the Design Council, the Campaign for Learning and the Cabinet Office. From 2005-2006 he was Special Advisor to the Education and Skills Select Committee. He has authored a number of books on schools and education and has taught in Brazil, China and the UK.