Academies and Educational Reform

Elizabeth Leo has held senior leadership and management posts in universities and schools in the UK. She has led research and development with academies, maintained schools and local education authorities to promote strategic leadership that transforms teacher and student motivation, learning and achievement. Her research and publications focus on improving academies and schools in high poverty, highly disadvantaged communities from a cognitive-motivational perspective.David Galloway has published research on school and teacher influences on bullying in schools, extending his previous work on school influences on students' behaviour, and on provision for special educational needs. He also has a research interest in motivation. He has (co)authored or edited 15 books and about 100 articles.Phil Hearne is one of the most successful academy principals in England having led two academies in London. He is currently executive director of the country's largest and most complex all-age Academy in the North East. He has contributed to national and international conferences on leadership and, more recently, is focusing his research on rethinking the nature of organisational change and development of academies.

• Part 1. BackgroundChapter 1. Why Academies?Chapter 2. Socially Divisive Gimmick or Political and Moral Imperative?Chapter 3. Opposition: Dogma or Legitimate Concern?Part 2. Innovation, Governance, Leadership, Teaching and LearningChapter 4. 'It’s really down to the sponsor.'Chapter 5. Schools for the Future: Trophy Buildings or Learning Environments?Chapter 6. Distinctive Features of Academies: 1. Independence, Accountability, PressureChapter 7. Distinctive Features of Academies: 2. InnovationPart 3. FuturesChapter 8. A Coherent Policy?Chapter 9. Designed to Deliver?Chapter 10. The Future of Academies: Consolidating the Beachhead?

The development of Academies is a high profile initiative which has given rise to a large number of publications. However, as the analysis in this book illustrates, many of these consist either of polemic or of attempts at evaluation with limited sophistication or success. By asking the question 'what can be learned from the Academies programme?' this book provides a different perspective. The range of interviews with key informants provides concrete original data around which the discussion and analysis are skilfully woven.