The Practices Of School Middle Leadership

This book uses practice theory to examine the role of ‘middle-leadership’. In particular, it investigates the practices of ‘leading in the middle’ in the cultural-discursive, material-economic, and social-political domains – i.e., the sayings, doings and relatings of middle leading. This perspective acknowledges the ecological arrangement of leading practices in schools, and the necessity of considering the unavoidable reality of the site. The analysis is used to promote the need to view leading in the middle as a form of praxis – a morally and ethically informed practice that requires thoughtful decision-making and action in situations where the outcomes are not always clear. This book focuses on the practice of leading for those in ‘middle management’ positions in primary and secondary schools, such as those responsible for curriculum leadership, including senior teachers, assistant principals, and curriculum leaders. In their positions that bridge ‘management’ and ‘the classroom’ they are significant leaders in promoting and sustaining effective pedagogy for good learning outcomes, and they have to continue to provide high-quality teaching in their own classrooms, while simultaneously being a mentor, coach, supporter and evaluator for their colleagues.

Middle leading refers to those teachers that both teach and have leadership roles, and thus can bridge the gap between the practices of learning and the managemant of schooling. Focusing on the practices of middle leaders, this book addresses the current lack of support and professional development for middle leaders in educational settings. Middle Leadership in Schools positions middle leaders as professional leaders, and an integral part of educational and professional development in schools and other educational institutions. Drawing on empirical research spanning four countries, this book provides readers with a conceptual framework to understand middle leading and shows how middle leading practices unfold in real educational contexts. This is a valuable resource that goes beyond a theoretical conversation about middle leaders to provide readers with practical applications based on extensive research undertaken by the authors. The book is divided into seven chapters, each of which include reflective discussion questions and recommended readings to promote collaborative engagement with the text. Chapters cover topics such as how middle leading is shaped in practice, its role in professional development and its impact on schools. Illustrating to middle leaders how they can develop their leadership skills, the book will also be of interest to school principals and other senior leaders as a guide to supporting their middle leaders.

Based on research and consultations with influential school middle leaders, Middle Leadership in Schools presents ideas and actions designed specifically to stimulate and enhance educators leading from the middle, as a catalyst to enable them to do what they do with greater influence and impact.

To make the best decisions possible, middle leaders need to have a nuanced understanding of the consequences of their actions. In this pragmatic book, Adam Robbins aims to boost their role-specific expertise to help them achieve that goal - and offers them a preferable alternative to learning from their mistakes. Instead of relying on generic leadership theories, Middle Leadership Mastery collates perspectives from psychology and cognitive science to share evidence-informed guidance on a wide range of topics - from supporting staff and students in crisis and managing wellbeing, to quality-assuring teaching and curriculum design. Adam Robbins draws on his sixteen years' experience of teaching in a deprived area to illustrate his points with stories and anecdotes from the front line, demonstrating how middle leaders can better understand their context and deliver the best outcomes from a variety of starting points.

All children deserve a good education, where barriers to learning are addressed and teachers have the knowledge and support to raise their aspirations and achievement. The Achievement for All programme is a tried-and-tested whole-school strategy for raising the aspirations and attainment of the most vulnerable learners in any school setting (0-19), including those with special educational needs, disabilities and English as an additional language. A two-year pilot demonstrated unprecedented impact for pupils with SEND, who progressed faster on average than all pupils nationally in English and M.

Curriculum Leadership by Middle Leaders focusses on major issues relating to the continuing national and international discourse on curriculum leadership, and highlights the vital role of middle leaders in schools. School leadership has focused primarily on first-order change involving school leaders or principals. This book seeks to put the spotlight on second-order change that involves curriculum leadership and professional development support on the part of middle leaders for more sustainable and long-term change in teaching and learning that will influence what happens in classrooms. With timely and thought-provoking contribution from authors who pursue a range of scholarly interests in multiple educational settings, the book is guided by several underlying questions: How might we re-envision curriculum leadership so that it addresses both local and global concerns and aspirations? How might we better grasp how middle leaders understand and respond to the pressures of educational reform initiatives? How might middle leaders transform pressures into possibilities? This book will appeal to current teachers, those currently undertaking teacher training and students or academics carrying out research in the field of educational leadership.

Improve teacher collaboration and improve student learning by capacity building grade level leaders, heads of faculty, coordinators, deputy principals and every other middle leader in your school to build and lead teams that our mission driven.

With so much now expected of middle leaders in schools, this book aims to help those in middle leadership positions to become more confident and effective in their roles. It systematically considers every aspect of the role including team building, raising standards, holding others to account and managing change. With a wealth of practical guidance, the book covers the essential skills needed by middle leaders such as managing meetings, conducting difficult conversations and development planning while also offering insights into why some middle leaders are so much more effective than others. Covering all aspects of middle leadership, features include: an analysis of different leadership styles case studies written by current middle leaders in schools reflection and action points throughout This book is essential reading for secondary school teachers who are about to become middle leaders and need guidance on how to get to grips with the role. It will also be of value to existing middle leaders who want to improve their performance and effectiveness.