School leadership and management

Last update 24 May 18

BRIEF 1
School management

Schools need leaders who have a vision for improving quality and learning outcomes, and who are also effective at ongoing
management tasks.
Schools need leaders with a vision for improving the school’s learning environment within a well-functioning school-based
management (SBM) system. SBM involves setting school directions concerning students, teacher development, and allocation of
material and financial resources. Effective SBM impacts motivation, commitment, and student and teacher success by: facilitating
school leadership that is both appropriate to the unique context and needs of the school community, developing and implementing
school improvement plans, establishing fair and effective teacher appraisal systems, structuring classrooms and schools according to
school needs, building partnerships with the community, and ensuring that frameworks exist to support the functions of other school
departments and personnel.
 
Issues and Discussion
School managers’ preparation and leadership: School managers can positively contribute to school effectiveness when they are
prepared and able to use extensive leadership knowledge to solve complex school-based problems, and to build trust through
working relationships with school staff, parents, students, and the community.(3)(8) Managers can have different and overlapping
management styles including  instructional ,  transformational , and  distributed  leadership, with each style having an influence on student
outcomes and how teachers respond to leadership.(3)(8) However, it is important that school managers lead in a way that is
appropriate to the school culture and context, that they be given opportunities for management support training, and that their
performance be appraised by school inspectors, municipalities, or other boards that provide oversight on school management quality.
(3)(8) School managers who model strong instructional leadership focus on planning, evaluation, coordination, and improvement of
teaching in order to achieve positive student learning outcomes.(8) School managers need to assess student and teacher performance
and lead in a way that is culturally and pedagogically responsive to student’ and teacher’ strengths and needs.(8)
School improvement plans: Effective school managers design a school improvement process to guide their work.(2)(8) School
improvement plans (also called school development plans) can provide such a process because they are strategic and based on a
scanning of the school environment and the conditions that are faced.(1)(2) School improvement plans should prioritise goals and
objectives, identify strategic actions to achieve school goals, and include a set of methods for monitoring, implementing, and
evaluating the strategies.(1)(2)(8)  In particular, they may outline strategies for improving student performance in targeted subject
areas, recommend particular types of assessments for teachers to measure student performance over time, and indicate when and for
how long strategies should be implemented.(1)(8) The development of school plans is a collaborative process between school
professionals and councils, parents, and other community stakeholders, and the results should be made accessible (in hard copy or
online) to the public as a form of accountability.(1)(2)(3)
Teacher appraisal: Another function accomplished by school managers is regular teacher appraisal.(8) A  teacher appraisal framework  makes
evaluation fair by clearly defining roles, responsibilities and procedures, and includes multiple forms of measurement such as
teacher portfolios,  classroom observations, and surveys and/or administrator and peer assessments .(8) School professionals should have a clear rationale for
choosing assessment measures, and should be cautious about using forms of teacher appraisal that can place  too much value on student’s

standardized test scores .(3)

Other management functions: Other aspects of schools require a clear management framework including maintaining  school

libraries  and storerooms, addressing school health and safety issues, and managing  school-based funding and accounting .(5)(6) The
management of school funding has a particular relationship to learning outcomes, since high performing schools tend to focus
resources on the areas of greatest learning needs, including individual attention for students to learn core subjects and extra support
to improve teachers’ effectiveness.(5)(6)
School-community partnerships: SBM is effective when a school-based committee or department has been formed for the purpose of
assessing  school and community needs , engaging the community, building partnerships, managing resources, and providing incentives and
training to build partnership capacity.(3)(4)(8)(9)
School clusters: Rural or low-resourced schools may be grouped into school clusters in order to pull resources together for the
purpose of improving the quality of teaching and learning. The  management of a school cluster includes similar roles and responsibilities as
in individual schools, however, additional leadership through a committee or a more experienced lead administrator will be needed
at the cluster level to manage and oversee curriculum delivery and evaluation across school sites.(2)(4)(8)(9) The decision to form a
cluster should be based on an assessment of school needs and shared goals across school sites for developing the cluster.(2)(4)(9)
Forming a cluster can include mapping activities to identify schools that are self-sufficient and may not require inclusion,
determining accessibility issues and the spatial distribution of schools in the network to identify a centralized location for a teacher
resource centre.(2)(4) Trained staff for managing teacher resource centre activities including providing support, training, and
resources to teachers is also important for effective management of a school cluster.(2)(4)(9)
 
Inclusiveness and Equity
Disadvantaged Students: School managers play a key role in promoting educational equity for disadvantaged students.(7) Some
SBM policies that benefit disadvantaged students include prioritising school-community partnerships, improving teacher retention
by identifying and eliminating barriers for teacher attrition, and school capacity building through leadership preparation programmes
and quality mentoring, professional networks, and infrastructure.(7)
Roles, responsibilities and functions of a manager

1. Functions and Roles & Responsibilities of a Manager GUIDED BY~ PRESENTED BY~ PROF. SONAM MATHUR ISHA JOSHI (MIB – I SEMESTER) PRESTIGE
INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH, INDORE

2. CONTENTS WHO IS A MANAGER? FUNCTIONS OF A MANAGER ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF A MANAGER

3. WHO IS A MANAGER? A Manager is the person responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals, monitoring their work, and taking
corrective action when necessary. A manager is a person responsible for supervising and motivating employees and for directing the progress of an
organization.

4. FUNCTIONS OF A MANAGER

5. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF A MANAGER INFORMATIONAL ROLE INTERPERSONAL ROLE DECISIONAL ROLE

6. INTERPERSONAL ROLE OF A MANAGER The roles in this category involve providing information and ideas. Figurehead - A manager has social, ceremonial and
legal responsibilities. He is expected to be a source of inspiration. People look up to him as a person with authority, and as a figurehead. Leader - This is where
manager provide leadership for his team, his department or perhaps his entire organization; and it's where he (manager) manage the performance and
responsibilities of everyone in the group. Liaison - Managers must communicate with internal and external contacts. He needs to be able to network effectively
on behalf of his organization.

7. INFORMATIONAL ROLE OF A MANAGER The roles in this category involve processing information. Monitor - In this role, manager regularly seek out
information related to his organization and industry, looking for relevant changes in the environment. He also monitors his team, in terms of both their
productivity, and their well-being. Disseminator - This is where manager communicate potentially useful information to his colleagues and his team.
Spokesperson - Manager represents and speaks for his organization. In this role he is responsible for transmitting information about his organization and its
goals to the people outside it.

8. DECISIONAL ROLE OF A MANAGER The roles in this category involve using information. Entrepreneur - A manager creates and control change within the
organization. This means solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them. Disturbance Handler - When an organization or team hits an
unexpected roadblock, it's the manager who must take charge. He also needs to help mediate disputes within it. Resource Allocator – A manager also needs to
determine where organizational resources are best applied. This involves allocating funding, as well as assigning staff and other organizational resources.
Negotiator – A manager may be needed to take part in, and direct, important negotiations his team, department, or organization.

https://www.slideshare.net/ishajoshi503/roles-responsibilities-and-functions-of-a-manager
 Managing the environment

The school environment can have an impact on learning outcomes for pupils and students. It can influence the way that staff and students feel about their value to the institution.

Whilst it would be unusual for the headteacher to be involved in the day-to-day management of the school buildings and its services, it is important that they understand the

necessary processes to ensure the health and safety of those using the school buildings and grounds. The headteacher’s role is more likely to be in relation to liaison with the school

business manager, bursar or site manager on these issues.

This theme includes information on:

 the impact of school environments

 health and safety issues around people and buildings

 sustainability

 safeguarding and child protection

Health and safety in schools

The section is designed to provide you with an overview of the main health and safety issues, and to help you start to ensure that your school has all the necessary policies and
measures in place.

Now watch the following videos, in which headteachers discuss health and safety in their schools.

All schools are required to have a health and safety policy. In community and voluntary controlled schools this will be based on the LA's policy but will be more context specific.

Foundation and voluntary aided schools may begin with the LA's policy but aren't required to do so.
The legal responsibility for pupil health and safety rests with the governing body since they manage the premises but where the LA is the employer the LA has responsibilities under

the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3242), particularly with regard to the staff it employs.

Health and safety considerations do not need to be burdensome but they are necessary to avoid serious injury or even death. As a new headteacher you will want to gain an

overview of the main health and safety issues. This section is designed to provide you with an overview and help you start to ensure that your school has all the necessary policies

and measures in place.

Key to any health and safety policy are risk assessments, which are required for every aspect of the school's work. A risk assessment does not need to be onerous. See the link

below for the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) simple five-stage process. All staff should be taught to undertake risk assessments as should pupils, perhaps through PSHE

lessons.

Regular monitoring to ensure compliance should take place. This will involve monitoring behaviour of staff and pupils to ensure compliance with the school's procedures. It will also

include a walk around the school. As a minimum this should be undertaken by a member of the SLT, the school business manager (or the premises manager), the in-school co-

ordinator and the school's health and safety union representative. It may also include a governor – the health and safety link governor if there is one. This could form the basis of a

health and safety committee, and you may wish to include pupils. A report should be produced for the governing body. Where work is required this should be prioritised and

undertaken as quickly as possible.

At this stage, you may find it useful to have a conversation with your professional partner about your personal approach to health and safety.
People issues

The myth: Health and safety rules stop classroom experiments. The reality: Hands-on lessons are an essential part of learning. They bring science to life and also teach kids how to

handle dangerous substances safely.

Health and Safety Executive, HSE

Schools are essentially about people involved in a wide range of activities. Not surprisingly this raises a host of health and safety issues.

A number of key guidance documents are provided in the links below. Some areas have already been covered in earlier parts of this module, for example managing medicines in

schools (see Safeguarding children: Issues to consider).

The school's health and safety policy and associated procedures should be readily available to all staff and translations of the policy and procedures should be available in language

accessible to pupils. In addition different areas of the school's work will have their own health and safety policies and procedures, for example science, technology, PE and use of

the hall.

Another area for consideration in all schools is working beyond the classroom, particularly when off site. Guidance is available for school trips, adventure excursions and safety at

water margins.

It goes without saying that the majority of the issues involved are common sense but this can't be taken for granted and people do need reminders no matter how experienced they

are. Health and safety policies and procedures should not be designed to avoid risk at all costs or act as a ‘kill joy'. Nor should they be so overly bureaucratic that they are soon

ignored. They must be manageable and encourage learning. The Health and Safety Executive provides practical guidance in this area. Follow the links below for further details.

An organizational environment is composed of forces or institutions surrounding an organization that affect performance, operations, and resources. Learn
more about the definition, importance, and process of organizational environments in this lesson.
Definition of Organizational Environment
Why are organizations affected by their environments? In order to answer this question, let's look at two very different organizations: Basic Bolt Company
and Terrific Technologies.
Basic Bolt Company sells bolts to large manufacturing companies as components to make large machines and engines. They face a relatively static
environment with few changing environmental forces. Currently, there are no new competitors in their market, few new technologies being discovered, and
little to no activity from outside groups that might influence the organization.
Opposite from this, Terrific Technologies is an internet marketing startup that faces a dynamic environment with rapidly changing regulations from the
government, new competitors constantly entering the market, and constantly shifting consumer preferences.
These two companies have very different organizational environments. Organizational environments are composed of forces or institutions surrounding
an organization that affect performance, operations, and resources. It includes all of the elements that exist outside of the organization's boundaries and
have the potential to affect a portion or all of the organization. Examples include government regulatory agencies, competitors, customers, suppliers, and
pressure from the public.
To manage the organization effectively, managers need to properly understand the environment. Scholars have divided environmental factors into two
parts: internal and external environments.

Internal Environment
An organization's internal environment consists of the entities, conditions, events, and factors within the organization that influence choices and activities.
It exposes the strengths and weaknesses found within the organization. Factors that are frequently considered part of the internal environment include the
employee behavior, the organization's culture, mission statement, and leadership styles.
The internal environment of Basic Bolt Company is very different from Terrific Technologies. Basic Bolt Company's leadership is results- and deadline-
driven, distant, detached, and generally unconcerned about their employees' welfare or morale. Their employees are not especially dedicated to the
company and are happy to leave if the opportunity arises.
Terrific Technologies' leadership style is extremely hands-on using a high degree of creativity, ingenuity, and imagination in solving organizational
problems. Their managers are concerned about employee morale and welfare and go above and beyond what is necessary to make their employees feel
valued and important. Their employees are very loyal to the company and are typically happy with their jobs.

External Environment
An organization's external environment consists of the entities, conditions, events, and factors surrounding the organization that influence choices and
activities and determine its opportunities and threats. It is also called an operating environment. Examples of factors affecting an organization's external
environment include customers, public opinion, economic conditions, government regulations, and competition.
The external environment of the Basic Bolt Company and Terrific Technologies will be different as well, but a few external factors will potentially affect both
companies. Basic Bolt Company's customers will have very different wants and needs compared to Terrific Technologies' clientele, but both will want a
superior product or service at the lowest possible price. Both companies will face governmental regulations, but they will likely be subject to different laws
and legislation. The condition of the economy will also affect both companies.
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