Abstract
Since the election of the Coalition government in 2010, an increasing number of primary schools in England have converted to academy status. This article explores how executive leaders working in primary academies construct academy freedoms and their attitudes towards their local authorities. Interviews with four executive leaders working in two contrasting Multi-Academy Trusts were analysed using critical discourse analysis. Findings show that in these primary academies, leaders chose to discursively distance themselves from other academy schools, and instead construct themselves as continuing the best traditions of local authority support. The findings indicate that the professional identities of academy leaders, as key policy actors, have an impact on how national policy is interpreted and enacted. The discourse of these academy leaders suggests that primary academisation has led to school leaders appropriating methods of strategic redefinition, to navigate the new post-2010 education landscape and construct new professional identities.
Highlights
In 2010, the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat ‘Coalition’ government led to rapid and extensive changes to the English school system
The metaphors used by Noah and Rachel indicate the charged emotional climate during the beginnings of post-2010 academisation and give an indication of the fear and anxiety that school leaders felt during this period (Greany and Higham, 2018; Keddie, 2016)
This study has focused on the ways that leaders discursively position themselves and their practices but has avoided investigation into the extent to which their discursive positionings correlate to their leadership practice
Summary
In 2010, the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat ‘Coalition’ government led to rapid and extensive changes to the English school system. In one of the most significant changes, primary schools were allowed to gain academy status for the first time. The first academies opened in 2002 under the Labour government and were primarily aimed at secondary schools in inner cities where educational provision was judged to be ‘weak and failing’ (Balls, cited in Long, 2015: 6).. Gove, 2012), the policy of academisation post-2010 involved a restructuring of the English school system, which went far beyond the intentions of the original academies programme and reflected different ideologies and motives (Ball, 2009; Chapman and Salokangas, 2012; Rayner et al, 2018) Presented by government ministers as an extension of the policy of previous Labour administrations (see, e.g. Gove, 2012), the policy of academisation post-2010 involved a restructuring of the English school system, which went far beyond the intentions of the original academies programme and reflected different ideologies and motives (Ball, 2009; Chapman and Salokangas, 2012; Rayner et al, 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
