The process of decentralization and moves to greater self-management in schools have been part of an international trend for some years. In England and Wales, the most extreme form of self-management was introduced by the Conservative Government which established grant-maintained schools in the 1988 Education Reform Act. It was, arguably, the most controversial development in education policy in this country. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the GM policy, its implementation and impact on practice, through the study of a single grant-maintained school, its struggle for incorporation and its operation during a turbulent period. The subject of the case study is Stratford School in East London, one of the earliest schools to opt out. The research, which draws upon documentary evidence and interviews with governors, staff and pupils, has five areas of focus: the opting-out process, the role of head and governors, relationships with the local education authority, school improvement and parental involvement - choice and diversity. In many respects, the Stratford experience supports the outcomes of other research and mirrors what happened in other GM schools. There are findings from this research, however, which run counter to what took place in most GM schools. The story vividly illustrates how a GM school could go wrong and slide out of control. Yet, despite its many difficulties, the school not only survived to prove its opponents wrong, it flourished, gaining public recognition for its progress and the substantial improvement in pupil achievement. The researcher presents Stratford School as a unique case which throws light on both the GM policy during its ten year life span and the concept of self-management which is still very much on the agenda of both major political parties. It, therefore, is of historical interest and contemporary significance to those interested in self-management in schools.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:697032 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Snelling, Anne |
| Publisher | University of Leicester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/2381/30983 |
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