Session Information
15 SES 04, International Point of View
Paper Session
Contribution
Against a policy backdrop marked by massive reductions in local government funding, changes in the role universities play in teacher education and professional development and the increasing influence of new forms of collaborative relationships between and among schools, the ‘middle tier’ of the education system in England is becoming increasingly ‘complex’, some might say chaotic. The middle tier has traditionally been made up of local government that mediated policy between national government and schools, although recent years have seen other organizational forms, notably sponsors of academy chains, emerge to take their place. Similar and parallel shifts can be recognised internationally and this paper will begin to illustrate some of the lessons that can be learned from experiences in England.
In this context, the nature of school improvement, professional development and multi-agency support is changing rapidly as a result of increases in private provision and a range of central government-funded initiatives and requirements. What is emerging is a divergence in the approaches to these areas across England as local differences in the nature and extent of collaborative arrangements in and between tiers of the education system are played out. The main objective of the paper is to map out some of the implications of this declining local government structure and of the collaborative arrangements that are emerging in their place in two local authorities in England.
This paper sets out the policy background to the changes in local authority and school-based provision in the areas of professional development, school improvement and multi-agency support. The theoretical framework for the paper draws on theory relating to educational collaboration (de Lima, 2007; Daly & Finnigan, 2010; Hadfield & Jopling, 2012) and research into system reform (Hargreaves, 2010; Hill et al, 2012). The research has been undertaken in two local authorities: a large urban authority in the North West of England with high levels of social deprivation and a much smaller local authority in the South West.
The paper explores the implications of the changes in practice by exploring how this emergent complexity is having an impact on schools, local authority staff and other professionals in two very different local authorities. Key research questions include the following:
What are the emerging implications of an increasingly complex middle tier in the education system in England?
What impact have recent policy changes and shifts in funding had on the capacity of local authorities and schools to provide collaborative CPD, school improvement and other kinds of support in their area?
What forms of provision are emerging in localities and what are the key factors that appear to be shaping their development?
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Borgatti, S.P., Everett, M.G., and Johnson, J.C. (2013) Analyzing social networks. London: Sage. Daly, A.J., and Finnigan, K.S. (2010) A bridge between worlds: Understanding network structure to understand change strategy. Journal of Educational Change 11, 2: 111-138. de Lima, J. 2007. Teachers’ professional development in departmentalised, loosely coupled organisations. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 18, 3: 273-301. Hadfield, M. and Jopling, M. (2012) How might better network theories support school leadership research? School Leadership and Management 32:2, 109-121 Hargreaves, D.H. (2010) Creating a self-improving school system. Nottingham: National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services Hill, R., Dunford, J., Parish, N., Rea, S., and Sandals, L. (2012) The growth of academy chains: implications for leaders and leadership. Nottingham: National College for School Leadership
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