David Middlewood

It’s not just about value for money A case study of values-led implementation of the Pupil Premium in outstanding schools

This article draws on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with headteachers and other stakeholders on the use of the Pupil Premium in Ofsted-rated outstanding schools. It has a focus on the significance of fundamental principles in determining how effective use is made of additional resources. In particular, the importance of a clear identification and maintenance of a consistent set of values, by school leaders, is identified as a major contributory factor in ensuring successful utilization of the Pupil Premium for the ultimate benefit of all pupils in the school and for the broader community.

Prospecting for support in a wild environment: investigating a school-to-school support system for primary school leaders

This paper draws on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with head teachers and other stakeholders on the impact and effectiveness of the introduction of a Primary School Improvement Group (PSIG) by the Local Authority (LA). The PSIG was introduced as a response to concerns expressed by the Department of Education about the perceived levels of underperformance by some primary schools in the city. Operating against a background of national policy developments, the LA developed a programme that enabled head teachers of highly effective schools to support senior staff in schools facing difficulty.

University Governance: insights from England and Greece

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and assess the role played by university governance in the effectiveness and efficiency of the higher education system through literature analysis and the management evaluation method of Organization and Methods (the O and M technique) and argue for a more radical change in, and greater scrutiny of, university governance so as to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of university operations and thus yield a more optimal satisfaction of social needs.,The paper employs the O and M technique in order to investigate and assess the role played by university governance in the effectiveness and efficiency of the higher education system.,The “objective” is education and knowledge and there is no room for experimentation in the system. The higher education sector does not need experiments to develop further. Rather, it deserves cautious, creative and innovative consideration and needs a very distinctive treatment of national problems. No matter the policy orientation of the system, higher education policy makers should not forget that higher education has a tremendous influence on peoples’ attitudes and beliefs so the focus should be on the actual knowledge on social responsibility and on the commitment of higher education to serve social interests and needs.,The analysis developed in this study would benefit from a deeper exploration by investigating more numerous and diverse examples from the international arena of higher education.,This study acts as a complement to previous research on higher education governance since it develops further the analysis and the understanding of university governance. By using as examples two countries with different orientation in their higher education system (mainly due to differences in cultural and ideological perceptions) and keeping in mind that there is no ideal model for university governance, this study could enlighten decision makers in any country to develop a more effective and constructive model of university governance that would serve societal interests more effectively.

Developing a Culture for Sustainability in Educational Organisations

Values and beliefs lie at the heart of any organisational culture, expressed through artefacts and symbols, but especially though the behaviour of the people there. Key principles for sustainable cultures include recognising individual contributions, using fewer consumable resources, diversity and community working. Examples are given of school initiatives which show commitment to conservation. The role of leaders is critical in developing such cultures and leaders’ ability to think strategically and ensure personal goals cohere with school ones are central. Such leaders tend to be reflective, modest, unselfish, fair and effective at managing change. Change at local level is the key to larger scale reform at national educational system levels, and can address economic and political issues. Further examples stress schools’ community involvements and underline the conclusion that the greatest inspiration for young people in developing sustainable cultures is the actions and behaviour of leaders and other relevant adults.

Policy Leadership, School Improvement and Staff Development in England, Tanzania and South Africa: Schools Working Together

Research was carried out in three discrete regions in England and Africa into the benefits of school principals sharing issues with at least one other leader from another school. Different forms of this inter-school collaboration operated in Birmingham, England, Limpopo province of South Africa and Mtawra province of Tanzania. These ranged from a formally structured model to meeting an informal desire by leaders to gain from others’ expertise. Interviews were carried out with the leaders and with connected stakeholders, as well as relevant documents being analysed. In all cases, the data showed that school leaders were hugely in favour of collaborating with other leaders so that there could be mutual learning, regardless of the previous status of the schools. The key factors in the success of such collaborations were seen to be professional trust between the participants and the facilitation of the process by a third party.