The role of school leaders is an evolving one, calling them to become agents of change, focusing on the instructional and transformational dimensions of leadership as they take the schools forward. All this is happening in a context that is becoming more challenging and stressful as school leaders try to juggle the different and complex social responsibilities they are being called to undertake. This presentation addresses two central questions, namely: in what ways do school leaders influence student learning, and, in relation to the Italian context, what is actually taking place that facilitates or hinders leadership for learning. Trying to address these two questions we show that the legal developments and expectations of the Italian education authorities as to what school leaders ought to do has led to a context that is fraught with ambiguity. Currently, Italian schools do not control the employment of teachers, neither do they manage the time dedicated for professional development, and have limited financial control over funds. These are still the prerogative of central and regional authorities and are based on negotiations with trade unions. It has been argued that unless these issues are resolved the impact that school leaders can have on student learning within Italian schools cannot be adequately addressed and will remain a concern.

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