Headteachers of Catholic schools in England in the early twenty-first century are facing unprecedented challenges in exercising their role. In addition to concerns about funding and recruitment, leaders in Catholic schools are subject to challenges about Catholic identity and integrity, which are tested by pressures such as social media that have…

The argument for the importance of a parent's engagement with their child's learning over parental involvement with their child's school has been shown to be valuable in research literature. This study, conducted in England prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, therefore aimed to understand how school leaders and their staff understand parental…

This article draws on the findings of an in-depth study which sought to explore the career histories and professional aspirations of 12 women deputy head teachers in England. In view of the ongoing underrepresentation of women in secondary headship and the scarcity of literature focusing solely on deputy heads, the study aimed to gain an insight…

Parental separation not only impacts on family relationships, it also has implications for a child's school life and opportunity to learn. However, there is little understanding of how children of separated parents navigate the relationship between home and school. This paper reports findings from discussions with education professionals in…

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, England faced a considerable teacher recruitment and retention challenge. The last ten years have been characterised by insufficient numbers of new teachers joining the profession and an increasing proportion leaving the state sector, particularly in secondary schools. This research is designed to…

On May 10th, 2020 the Prime Minister announced a phased return of some children to school in England from June 1st. Schools had been closed to all but vulnerable and keyworker children since March 20th, meaning that most children have been educated at home for a period of 10 weeks, and some year groups are not expected to return to school until…

Men continue to outnumber women at the secondary head teacher level. This article reports on some of the preliminary findings of a larger study exploring the ways in which women deputy head teachers, as potential aspirants to headship, perceive the secondary head teacher role. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology,…

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on all areas of society, including education. On 20 March 2020, the British Government ordered all schools to close to all pupils, except vulnerable children and the children of keyworkers (such as those working in public health, transport and supplying food). National examinations were also cancelled. As a…

The publication is advice designed to help employers in all schools with staffing and employment issues, and to inform their decision making. It advises on matters contained within the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 for maintained schools and for independent schools, which include academies and free schools, the Education (Independent…

The article is based on data from in-depth interviews with 13 deputy or assistant head teachers who had taken part in "Investing in Diversity", a leadership course, unusual in that it is designed for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) aspirant school leaders. This course is at present only offered in London and Leeds, but it is intended to…

This article explores how organizational cultures shape workplace learning for those learning to be educational leaders. The discussion is illustrated with the data from an ethnographic case study which explored the workplace learning of five school leaders. The findings suggest that workplace boundaries were constructed in response to perceptions…

The purpose of this study was to determine how selectors decide, on the basis of a letter and application form, which applicants for a position as principal or assistant principal are asked to provide references and which are eliminated. Methodology and findings are presented. (MT)

This paper presents the findings obtained from a detailed questionnaire completed by selected head teachers (n = 129), deputy heads (n = 81), middle managers (n = 178) and form tutors (n = 91) in schools within local education authorities located throughout England and Wales. The questionnaire focused upon the respondents' views on the best ways…

Examines personal variables for their effect on attitudes and survey responses of primary school principals and deputy principals when questioned about the role of principal. Significant differences were observed between men and women respondents and minor differences were noted in accordance with age and experience. (Author/DB)

A Deputy Headteacher Role Definition Instrument was employed to discover the conceptions of primary school heads and deputy heads in regard to the allocation of certain school leadership functions: instrumental leadership, expressive leadership, and administration. (Author)