Government
DfES
Localisation
QCA/SQA
Awarding Bodies
Ofsted
Schools



Schools
Schools fall into a number of different categories according to how they are managed and how they are funded. Some are independent of local authority control, managing their own affairs and finances. These include the more well known Public Schools like Eton and Harrow, existing in the private sector. Most, however, fall under the responsibility of the State where there is an ongoing debate as to the extent to which parents should be given a choice about which type of school to send their children.


 

Currently, the management and organisation of state sector education is an area of great diversity, with many schools choosing to opt out of local control. Many schools choose to specialise in Technology, Media or other subjects, in order to attract additional funds for infrastructural development. City Academies would be run by an independent organisation or company, or by a consortia of organisations, managing the day-to-day running of the school in consultation with the DfES.

Essentially though, leaving aside issues of funding, most schools organise themselves in similar ways …

Governors
The Board of Governors consists of parents, teachers, members of the local community (often business-people), local authority representatives, and the school Head. The Board holds the strategic decision making power within the school, appointing the Head and allocating resources and funds. Being run by a committee in this way means that majority interest on the Board is very important when it comes to casting the vote on major decisions.

Heads
The Head (or Principal, or Headteacher, et al) is nominally responsible for running the school ÷ s/he implements the decisions made by the Board and leads the other staff and students towards achieving the school's objectives. Most secondary schools are now more or less like small businesses, most with a turnover of more than £1million and an ability to influence large numbers of people. In fact, it is estimated that the total number of stakeholders involved with a large inner-city comprehensive can be as high as 2million!!!

Heads of Departments
Schools tend to divide themselves up according to the subjects taught, and by student year or cohort. At the head of each Department is a teacher who has taken on additional responsibilities to manage the teaching of, and provision for, his or her subject. These Heads of Department choose which Awarding Body's syllabus to follow, and develop the school's subject curriculum accordingly. They are then responsible for purchasing text books and teaching materials which allow for the effective delivery of that syllabus.

Heads of Year
Some schools select staff to take on pastoral responsibilities for a Year Group of students. These Heads of Year tend to manage the school's relationship with parents, deal with issues of discipline and behaviour, and supervise the individual performance of students.

Teachers
Pilloried in the press, not respected by parents, disliked by their students, underpaid by their employers ÷ you'd think that teaching was the worst job in the world. But the fact of the matter is that teachers have played one of the most important roles in making the UK a competitive economic power. They have brought about the year-on-year improvements in exam results since 1995. Each year they produce future world leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, poets, novelists. Each day, most teachers are responsible for supervising and managing up to 150 different children while they try and inspire them to learn. These are the 450,000 people who will thank our clients for sponsoring a classroom resource.