Description:
Effective school leadership is essential. As schools become increasingly
complex organisations and their role in socialising young people is recognised, the task of leading the school community is receiving greater attention than ever before.

School Leadership summarises current thinking about leadership in schools and suggests ways forward. School leadership is set in its social context. Is leadership associated with function within a bureaucratically ordered hierarchy, is it widely shared across communities or is it both? The school is considered both as an institution of the state and as an agency of democratic values. Ideas as to who the leaders are and what leadership involves are recast. The authors' recent experience with Headship preparation and development is discussed and analysed.

The Scottish experience provides examples of general issues facing many schools and school leaders. School Leadership is required reading for head teachers, education administrators and for those aspiring to leadership roles in schools.

This is a thoroughly revised and updated edition of a book that has been a key resource for School Leadership programmes since its first publication in 2003.

Jim O’Brien is Dean of Moray House Institute of Education, University of Edinburgh; Daniel Murphy is a head teacher who previously led the Scottish Qualification for Headship programme at the University of Edinburgh; Janet Draper is a Professor of Education Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University.