In a rapidly changing educational climate, leadership is more crucial than ever to school performance. Internal capacity and effective partnerships are essential to navigate through change and meet the ever-growing and changing demands of stakeholders, including policy-makers and the children served by our schools.
Drawing on a wealth of evidence, Exploring the School Leadership Landscape critically considers the ways in which school leadership and its practice have evolved, exploring what has changed and what has remained over the last decade. Both empirically and theoretically informed, it covers:
- the relationship between leadership and student learning, professional learning and leadership for learning
- accountability and the market
- leadership and governance
- leadership intensification and distribution
- school autonomy
- new models including systems leadership, the managed model, the multi-agency model and the federated model
This book is essential reading for school leaders, policy-makers and students, and provides a comprehensive exploration of the leadership landscape for anyone concerned about the future of our schools.
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: Setting the Scene
2. The Changing School Leadership Landscape
3. The Demography of School Leadership
4. Responding to Change and the Current Policy landscape
5. Current Models of Leadership and Future Challenges
6. Governing Bodies: Leadership and the Changing Landscape
7. The Balance between Operational and Strategic Leadership
8. Improving Teaching and Learning
9. New Leadership Skills and Capabilities: Development, Training and Support
10. Conclusion: The Future of School Leadership
About the Author :
Peter Earley is Emeritus Professor of Education Leadership and Management in the IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, UK.
Review :
"A very valuable research-informed analysis of school leadership today and challenges for the future. Essential reading for school leaders and policy-makers." --Ron Glatter, Emeritus Professor of Educational Administration and Management, The Open University, UK
"This is an important and timely book. The last decade has seen unprecedented change as schools in England have become more autonomous and more accountable. Traditional support structures are reducing in the move towards a self-improving system. As a result, the challenges and opportunities for leaders have intensified. By weaving together the findings from four separate reviews over a 10 year period and combining this with his own deep knowledge of leadership research and practice, Peter Earley has produced an extremely valuable picture of a profession in transition." --Toby Greany, Professor of Leadership and Innovation and Director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education, University College London, UK
"This is a fascinating exploration of school leadership over the past decade. It gets under the skin of leadership by considering in depth the key aspects of teaching and learning - the vital life blood of leadership. This is a fascinating read which every forward-thinking school leader will want to engage with since it sets current leadership in the context of recent history as well as charting what the future may look like." --Jamie Clarke, Headteacher, Sponne School, Towcester, UK
"This is a valuable book which focuses on an important topic. It draws on recent research, including the author's own research over the last 10 years, to develop a detailed picture of the leadership landscape in England. Well worth reading and a good read for all school leaders." --Geoff Southworth, Visiting Professor, Institute of Education, University College London, UK
"In a period of turbulence and fundamental change in education policy Exploring the School Leadership Landscape is a significant resource for school leaders, those who work with them and those who aspire to leadership. With his usual blend of academic rigour and professional relevance Peter Earley provides a highly detailed and systematic analysis which will help many map a way through an increasingly complex leadership landscape. The study combines a highly detailed research base with authentic insights into the realities of school leadership into a synthesis which is authoritative, challenging and enlightening." --John West-Burnham, Professor of Educational Leadership, St Mary's University, London, UK
"This book explains and debates the challenges facing headteachers and their senior staff and highlights where governors could and should be part of the solution in ensuring that academic and social standards continue to improve. I suggest that you get hold of this excellent book and check your GB (governing body) against these result, assess how you are dealing with the changes and what you are going to do to ensure an effective GB fit for purpose today and in the forseeable future!" --Roy Evans, Chair of the Slough & East Berkshire Multi-Academy Trust, Governing Matters
