School Leadership for Public Value: Understanding valuable outcomes for children, families and communities - Softcover

Mongon, Denis; Leadbeater, Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 085473919X ISBN 13: 9780854739196

Publisher: Institute of Education, 2012

Synopsis

School Leadership for Public Value is a timely contribution to the debate about the purpose and structure of schooling in England. It describes how some schools enhance pupil attainment by creating strong alliances with their neighbourhood communities. Those alliances enable the neighbourhood community to help raise the academic attainment of pupils as well as to improve the much wider range of outcomes for children and young people. In turn, the school’s resources are deployed sometimes subtly and sometimes explicitly to encourage community growth or regeneration. This book claims that schools working like these are writing a ‘new story’ for education which abandons institutional isolation and recreates powerful and positive relationships between communities and their schools. It is a story of disciplined educational and social innovation, led by headteachers and others with a mixture of passion and pragmatism, determination and ingenuity. It is a narrative which will help leaders from schools, local authorities and third sector services to understand the benefits which increasingly autonomous schools can both derive from and contribute to a strong engagement with local communities. At a time when national policy and financial constraints will tempt some schools into a siege mentality focussed internally and exclusively on classroom craft, this book offers an alternative, broader framework within which both higher attainment and improved well-being can be pursued.

About this title

Product Description

School Leadership for Public Value This book is a timely contribution to the debate about the purpose and structure of schooling in England. It describes how some schools enhance pupil attainment by creating strong alliances with their neighbourhood communities. Full description

Review

There is nothing new in the idea that successful schools connect to the communities they serve. And yet in the mad race to improve test scores this key principle has somehow been forgotten. Drawing on the experiences of ten pioneering schools, the authors of School Leadership for Public Value provide a challenging and timely reminder of the importance of looking beyond the school gate --Professor Mel Ainscow, University of Manchester, UK

As a policy maker and school system leader I was thrilled to see such a coherent argument for a different model of practice unfold before me. As someone who seeks to authorise and promote innovation I have been limited in my endeavours by the paucity of powerful texts which support such practice. At long last a relatively brief, and very readable book, captures the essence of an alternative to the natural inclination towards control which so besets politicians and system leaders and in so doing promote a policy framework which in itself can be transformative. Never has it been more important to consider how we can release the enormous social capital which exists in our communities - and particularly the unique role which schools can play in releasing that benefit. Mongon and Leadbeater set out how school leaders, through promoting a culture of innovation which put public value at the very heart of the system - as opposed to being at the margins - are such key figures in enabling our society to fulfill that aspiration. The text will be of value to leaders at all levels in the education and policy environment - not just as a one off read - but as a manual for change --Don Ledingham, Executive Director of Education and Children's Services, East Lothian Council and Director of Education and Children's Services, Midlothian Council

Mongon and Leadbeater have written the right book at the right time. 21st Century learning for achievement and wellbeing requires school leadership in the service of public value. This book transcends the old divides. It correctly positions the emerging learning system as one which places communities at the centre and partnerships as the driving force. It strikes the correct balance between autonomy and accountability and casts leadership as collaborative and genuinely shared. It goes beyond the school as institution to encompass new players critical to the success of the learning game. For Mongon and Leadbeater Public Value Schools are engaged in the serious game of improvement, innovation and ultimately transformation - to ensure that all young people experience and realise the global twin goals of excellence and equity in learning --Anthony Mackay, Chair, The Innovation Unit Ltd, UK Executive Director, Centre for Strategic Education, Australia

Edition details

• Publisher: Institute of Education
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 085473919X
• ISBN 13: 9780854739196
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128