This article develops the empirically backed normative argument that ideally school leadership should be shared among staff, but the extent of sharing that is justifiable in practice depends on diverse contexts and consequent risks—especially for headteachers— that may inhere in the endeavour to share leadership. Findings are discussed of research into senior management teams (SMTs) in British primary schools showing how the heads variably shared leadership by setting parameters for teamwork. A model is put forward which links interaction between heads and other SMT members according to their belief in a management hierarchy and in equal contribution with different levels of team synergy. A contingent approach to sharing leadership is justified on the basis of this model and implications for training identified.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anthony, P.
(1994) Managing Culture. Buckingham: Open University Press.
2.
Bacharach, S.
and Lawler, E. (1980) Power and Politics in Organisations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
3.
Bailey, W.
(1992) Power to the Schools: School Leader’s Guide to Restructuring.Newbury Park, CA: Corwin Press.
4.
Bell, L.
and Rhodes, C. (1996) The Skills of Primary School Management. London: Routledge.
5.
Blase, J.
and Anderson, G. (1995) The Micropolitics of Educational Leadership: From Control to Empowerment. London: Cassell.
6.
Bottery, M.
(1992) The Ethics of Educational Management. London: Cassell.
7.
Bower, M.
(1966) The Will to Manage: Corporate Success through Programmed Management.New York: McGraw-Hill.
8.
Burns, J.
(1978) Leadership. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
9.
Clarke, J.
and Newman, J. (1997) The Managerial State. London: Sage.
10.
Conger, J.
and Kanungo, R. (1998) Charismatic Leadership in Organisations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
11.
Department for Education and Employment
(1998) Teachers Meeting the Challenge of Change, Cm 4614. London: DfEE.
12.
Fullan, M.
(1993) Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform. London: Falmer Press.
13.
Giddens, A.
(1984) The Constitution of Society. Cambridge: Polity Press.
14.
Grace, G.
(1995) School Leadership: Beyond Educational Management. London: Falmer.
15.
Hall, V.
and Southworth, G. (1997) ‘Headship: State of the Art Review’, School Leadership and Management12(2): 151–170.
16.
Hargreaves, A.
(1994) Changing Teachers, Changing Times: Teachers’ Work and Culturein the Post-Modern Age. London: Cassell.
17.
Leithwood, K.
, Begley, P. and Cousins, B. (1992) Developing Expert Leaders for Future Schools. Bristol, PA: Falmer Press.
18.
Lortie, D.
(1969) ‘The Balance of Control and Autonomy in Elementary School Teaching’, in A. Etzioni (ed.) The Semi-Professions and their Organisation. New York: Free Press.
19.
Marsick, V.
and Watkins, K. (1990) Informal and Incidental Learning. London: Routledge.
20.
Merriam, S.
(1988) Case Study Research in Education. London: Jossey-Bass.
21.
Miles, M.
and Huberman, M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis(2nd edn). London: Sage.
22.
Nias, J.
, Southworth, G. and Yeomans, R. (1989) Staff Relationships in the Primary School: A Study of Organisational Cultures.London: Cassell.
23.
Office for Standards in Education
(1997) The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools: Standards and Quality in Education 1995/96.London: The Stationery Office.
24.
Pounder, D.
(ed.) (1998) Restructuring Schools for Collaboration. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
25.
Secondary Heads Association
(1992) If it Moves Again: A Further Study of the Role of the Deputy Head. Leicester: Secondary Heads Association.
26.
Senge, P.
(1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation. London: Century Business.
27.
Sergiovanni, T.
(1990) Value-Added Leadership: How to Get Extraordinary Performance in Schools. New York: Harcourt Brace Jankovich.
28.
Sergiovanni, T.
(1996) Moral Leadership: Getting to the Heart of School Improvement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
29.
Southworth, G.
(1995) Looking into Primary Headship: A Research Based Interpretation.London: Falmer Press.
30.
Southworth, G.
(1998) Leading Improving Primary Schools: The Work of Headteachers and Deputy Heads. London: Falmer Press.
31.
Starratt, R.
(1995) Leaders with Vision: The Quest for School Renewal. Thousand Oaks,CA: Corwin Press.
32.
Teacher Training Agency
(1998) National Standards for Headteachers. London: TTA.
33.
Torrington, D.
and Weightman, J. (1989) The Reality of School Management. Oxford: Blackwell.
34.
Wallace, M. (1986) ‘Towards an Action Research Approach to Educational Management’, unpublished PhD thesis, Centre for Applied Research in Education, University of East Anglia.
35.
Wallace, M.
(1991) School Centred Management Training. London: Paul Chapman.
36.
Wallace, M.
(1996) ‘A Crisis of Identity: School Merger and Cultural Transition’, British Educational Research Journal22(4): 459–472.
37.
Wallace, M.
(1999) ‘Combining Cultural and Political Perspectives: The Best of Both Conceptual Worlds?’, in T. Bush, L. Bell, R. Bolam, R. Glatter and P. Ribbins (eds) Redefining Educational Management: Policy, Practice and Research. London: Paul Chapman.
38.
Wallace, M.
and Hall, V. (1994) Inside the SMT: Teamwork in Secondary School Management. London: Paul Chapman.
39.
Wallace, M.
and Huckman, L. (1999) Senior Management Teams in Primary Schools: The Quest for Synergy. London: Routledge.
40.
Weindling, D.
and Earley, P. (1987) Secondary Headship: The First Years. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
41.
Whitty, G.
, Power, S. and Halpin, D. (1998) Devolution and Choice in Education. Buckingham: Open University Press.
42.
Williams, A.
, Dobson, P. and Walters, M. (1993) Changing Culture: New Organisational Approaches. London: Institute of Personnel Management.
