This article presents the evidence of stress-related training for the school leader in the UK. It is intended to stimulate thought and interest in the subject of stress preparation for extant and aspiring school leaders through a review of the current literature and the presentation of data from all UK training institutions and universities.…

This article explores the views of teachers, student teachers and university tutors about the opportunities of the collaborative mentoring relationships between teachers and student teachers. A qualitative approach was employed to conduct the study using a semi-structured type of interview with teachers, student teachers and university tutors.…

School councils have been an integral part of primary school life for the last decade and, despite not being mandatory in England, they are now to be found in the vast majority of primary schools. This research article aims to examine the current position of school councils in terms of their organization, the issues they address and the views held…

Teaching and learning observations (TLOs) are used in educational environments worldwide to measure and improve quality and support professional development. TLOs can be positive for teachers who enjoy opportunities to "perform" their craft and/or engage in professional dialogue. However, if this crucial, collaborative developmental…

Charter schools have been studied from numerous perspectives. One topic that remains under-researched, however, is charter school leadership. Therefore, we examine how charter administrators define their leadership roles and their ability to lead. Results indicate that charter principals see three primary functions in their leadership--building…

This article explores the purpose of governance in the further education (FE) sector in England and the increasing tasks demands that are expected from the governors of standards committees (SC) as part of their changing role. It will then examine how these task demands impact SC governors' perceptions of FE governance. This research is done…

This article focuses on head teachers' experiences of inspection under Ofsted's revised school inspection framework, their views of its principles and its implications for school leaders and leadership. The article draws on findings from a mixed-methods study to show that inspections are more focused on pupils' attainment and…

Social support of supervisors and colleagues is thought to enable people to cope better with the demanding work situations. More specifically, supportive, supervisory communication has been found to reduce uncertainty, promote discussion, build self-esteem, clarify role expectations and inculcate meaning in the job among employees. In an attempt…

This article critically analyses the current Maltese educational reform process, which aimed to transform educational governance in Malta from a centralized system to a more decentralized one. This longitudinal study adopted a multi-site inquiry of a sample of the colleges involving different stakeholders, including key policy-makers, college…

This article examines the ways in which being a member of a federation governing body impacts upon the governor identities of individuals. Using an ideographic case study based upon a single academy federation, the investigation employs a framework for identity analysis to analyse qualitative in-depth interviews with members within governing…

Financial management in primary schools has changed in the UK with the introduction of the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS). There is increasing delegation of financial responsibility to the management team in the school, increasing the role of the head teacher and the governing body as part of overall responsibility for the strategic…

Much of what we understand about school governance is generally under-researched, and there has been almost no recent research undertaken into the governing of schools in the non-maintained, private or independent sectors that are financed by the payment of fees. These schools broadly follow a model of governance that is similar to that of the…

The governing bodies of publicly funded schools in England are currently facing a number of substantive challenges of various kinds. Many of the challenges are long-standing, while others relate to the current context for governing wrought by recent education policy developments initiated by central government. A number of the challenges are…

This article starts from the recognition that senior staff contribute to the operation of further education college governance through working time, professional insight and public performance. The theoretical underpinning for the article draws upon social identity theory, governance accountability and the psychological contract for senior staff…

Since 2003 over 39,000 higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) have gained their status by proving that they meet a set of rigorous standards, which are closely aligned to those expected of newly qualified teachers. Taking as its starting point two research studies carried out in the East Midlands this paper seeks to demonstrate their…