Lesley Anderson

Control, Autonomy and Partnership in Local Education Views from Six Chief Education Officers

In the light of central government rhetoric of partnerships in educational provision, and the recent redefinition of schools’ relationships with local authorities, this article explores the perceptions of six chief education officers of the formal relationships that currently exist between them. The CEOs interviewed were drawn from different types of LEAs, some of which had seen high levels of ‘opting out’ by their secondary schools and some of which had had very low levels. They saw the concept of partnership as problematic, raising significant questions about the extent to which their organizations, constrained by formal accountability relationships and externally created codes of practice, could discharge their responsibilities as partnerships. It is suggested that the concept of partnership needs further clarification and precision if it is to be used in describing relationships between schools and their LEAs.

Democratic school leadership reforms in Kenya: cultural and historical challenges

In this article we discuss students’, teachers’ and school principals’ perceptions of democratic school leadership reforms in Kenya. The article is based on a study that was conducted in two phases. In phase one (conducted between September and December 2007), interviews were undertaken with 12 school principals in which understandings of democratic school leadership were explored. These data were then used to develop a rationale for selecting the case schools. The second phase (conducted between January and April 2008) was an in‐depth case study of two schools. The findings reveal that school principals have made efforts to inculcate democratic school leadership by involving teachers in decision making on school matters. The principals also allow students to participate in matters such as election of prefects and holding class and house meetings. However, most teachers and principals do not support what they referred to as ‘full democracy’ for students and instead prefer what they called ‘partial democracy’ based on historical and cultural factors.

Is Funding Fair? Perceptions and Experiences from Foundation Schools

Amending the funding arrangements for maintained schools in England and Wales was among New Labour’s educational priorities when it came to power in 1997. Accordingly a new devolved system was introduced in April 1999 known as ‘Fair Funding’. This change was particularly significant for schools that had been grant maintained (GM) under the previous government because it not only ended the favourable funding situation they had enjoyed but it also, once again, directed their funding through their local education authority. This article reports research into perceptions and experiences about the new funding arrangements in such schools.

Foundation Schools and Admissions: The local dimension

In 1998, the Labour Government instituted the School Standards and Framework Act which abolished Grant Maintained (GM) schools and introduced three new categories of school: community, voluntary and foundation. The latter two were to have much of the autonomy of GM schools, particularly with respect to admissions. This article reports on the findings of a study which gathered the perceptions of heads, governors and senior staff about admissions issues in 11 foundation schools after their first full term in their new status.

Educational Standards and Grantmaintained Schools Perceptions of Headteachers and Chairs of Governors

For the past decade, successive governments in the UK have linked economic growth with educational standards in schools and, in order to ensure the former, much emphasis has been placed on raising the latter. What has not been made clear is exactly what is meant by standards in schools. The earlier Tory regime put its faith in school autonomy in the shape of grant-maintained schools as a key thrust to their school improvement campaign. New Labour plans to abolish the sector and to ‘reinvent’ it through foundation and voluntary schools which will have reduced powers and will be linked to the LEA through governance and admission arrangements. This paper examines data on the views and perceptions of GM headteachers and chairs of governors about standards in their schools and reveals the extent to which they are able to ‘see through’ and critique current thinking about their nature and development generally.