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Headteacher Performance Management in England: Balancing Internal and External Accountability Through Performance Leadership

Item

Title
Headteacher Performance Management in England: Balancing Internal and External Accountability Through Performance Leadership
Abstract/Description
This article reports on research into headteacher performance management in England. The English school system couples organisational autonomy with close scrutiny of educational outcomes. The management of the performance of headteachers is a central aspect of such a system. The research involved a systematic literature review and the collection of data via national surveys, expert interviews and case studies. The findings point to three overarching conditions essential for what we identify as ‘performance leadership’: relational trust between the headteacher and the governing body; situational awareness by the governing body of the school’s circumstances and the headteacher’s lived experience of the role; and a systems perspective shared by the headteacher and governing body of performance management as one aspect of a comprehensive, interactive system of internal accountability, not merely an annual rite of passage. The study found that capacity in any two conditions offers a foundation for developing capability in the third. It also revealed the dominant role played by middle-tier structures in defining what constitutes ‘effective’ performance for any school or group of schools. The article offers insight into the changing landscape of performance expectations, for school leaders as well as for those who oversee their work.
Author/creator
Eddy-Spicer, David H.
Bubb, Sara
Earley, Peter
Crawford, Megan
James, Chris
Date
2019
In publication
Educational Management Administration & Leadership
Volume
47
Issue
2
Pages
170-188
Resource type
en Research/Scholarly Media
Resource status/form
en Published Text
Scholarship genre
en Empirical
en Synthesis/Overview
Keywords
accountability
appraisal
external advisers
governing body
headteacher
performance management
school principal
Primary national context
England
Language
en
Open access/full-text available
en Yes
Peer reviewed
en Yes
ISSN
1741-1432
DOI
10.1177/1741143217739361
URL
Official Publisher's Webpage (SAGE Journals)
Full-text PDF Shared by Author (ResearchGate)
Citation
Eddy-Spicer, D., Bubb, S., Earley, P., Crawford, M., & James, C. (2019). Headteacher Performance Management in England: Balancing Internal and External Accountability Through Performance Leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 47(2), 170–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217739361
Abbreviation
Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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