These publications consist of reports and guidance materials detailing different methods and approaches to leading school improvement, including school management, within-school variation and summaries of what we already know about successful school leadership.
Adding value to school leadership and management (2005) 
(343kb, 35 pages)
This paper reviews trends in the preparation and development of leaders and managers across the education and private sectors and identifies a number of key global trends in leadership preparation.
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Bursar Development Programme impact and evaluation reports (2008) (1.5Mb, 47 pages)
This report provides a clear and useful account of progress on targets, the Bursar Development Programme (BDP)’s success in reducing the administrative burden of senior leadership teams, especially headteachers and NCSL’s strategic plans for BDP in the next financial year.
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Can private companies successfully turn around a failing school (2004) (188kb, 26 pages)
Ken Thompson with Brent Davies and Linda Ellison
International research associate report examining the involvement of a not-for-profit private-sector company in the running of a school. It examines the strategy and approaches of the school leader in transforming the school and considers the relations of the participants in the journey: the students, teachers and parents.
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Changing times, changing roles (2006) (173kb, 6 pages)
Elizabeth Giltinan
This research associate report examines how primary schools have remodelled for the leadership and management of ICT.
Changing times, changing roles – full report (2MB, 29 pages)
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Critical incidents: effective responses and the factors behind them (2008) (433kb, 6 pages)
Michael Mander
The purpose of this research is to investigate and foster a greater understanding of some of the factors that shape how school leaders deal with critical incidents and critical episodes, and suggest why some colleagues are more effective in dealing with these on a professional and personal level.
Critical incidents: effective responses and the factors behind them (2008) (819kb, 33 pages)
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Deal or no big deal? Schools responses to the introduction of Teaching and Learning Responsibility allowances (2008) (76kb, 6 pages)
Jon Howard-Drake
This study explores six schools’ initial response to the introduction of the Teaching and Learning Responsibility allowances (TLRs) available from January 2006. The purpose of the study was to identify the climate and culture of the schools’ leadership through developing a typology of responses centred around questions on the leadership approach to TLR introduction.
Deal or no big deal – full report (175kb, 21 pages)
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Developing creativity in the primary school (2004) (397kb, 56 pages)
A practical guide on how to encourage creative learning so that schools can gain the confidence to review and develop their own practice. This guide draws upon Ofsted’s report ‘The Curriculum in Successful Primary Schools’, but examines in more depth what some of the schools that featured in that report are doing.
A printed version, priced £5, is available by clicking on the button below.
Driving leadership – a distributed perspective (2006)
Jim Spillane
Driving Leadership is an innovative audio case study series that brings together the voices of forward-thinking school leaders and leading academics to highlight topical and insightful school leadership issues.
The CD recording is priced £3.
To read the transcript or download the case studies visit the Driving Leadership page.
Driving leadership – sustainable leadership (2006)
Andy Hargreaves
Driving Leadership is an innovative audio case study series that brings together the voices of forward-thinking school leaders and leading academics to highlight topical and insightful school leadership issues.
The CD recording is priced £3.
To read the transcript or download the case studies visit the Driving Leadership page.
Driving leadership – teacher research (2006)
Ann Liebermann
Driving Leadership is an innovative audio case study series that brings together the voices of forward-thinking school leaders and leading academics to highlight topical and insightful school leadership issues.
The CD recording is priced £3.
To read the transcript or download the case studies visit the Driving Leadership page.
Driving leadership – what we know about successful school leadership (2006)
Ken Leithwood
Driving Leadership is an innovative audio case study series that brings together the voices of forward-thinking school leaders and leading academics to highlight topical and insightful school leadership issues.
The CD recording is priced £3.
To read the transcript or download the case studies visit the Driving Leadership page.
E-learning for leadership: emerging indicators of effective practice (2003) (240kb, 22 pages)
Angela McFarlane, Anton Bradburn and Agnes McMahon
The purpose of this study is to begin to characterise effective practice in e-learning for leadership.
Full report (467kb, 37 pages)
Case studies (899kb, 29 pages)
A printed version, priced £5, is available by clicking on the order button below.
FutureSight
The FutureSight Toolkit contains ideas and processes that school leaders can use to explore future scenarios and inform their planning.
The toolkit, priced £35, is available by clicking the order buton below. If you are ordering from overseas please contact [email protected] for postage costs.
More information can also be found on the FutureSight page.
Hidden Gold (2007) (448kb, 6 pages)
The aim of this study was to explore the ways in which schools manage knowledge capital during periods of change and how schools deal with internal and external factors that effect these changes.
Hidden gold – full report (497kb, 24 pages)
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How are English secondary schools interpreting their freedom to be different? (2004) (97kb, 4 pages)
David Loader
This report looks at the extent of creativity, freedom and flexibility in leadership of secondary schools.
Full report (143kb, 15 pages)
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ICT’s about learning: school leadership and the effective integration of information and communications technology (2002) (132kb, 6 pages)
Ken Walsh
A report on the integral place of ICT in schools looking at how to integrate ICT effectively.
ICT’s about learning – full report (kb, pages)
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Improvement through Evaluation (2006) (449kb, 6 pages)
Ann Marie Dimeck
This research associate report responded to the increased focus on school self-evaluation and set out to explore what schools were already doing in this field.
Improvement through evaluation – full report (472kb, 18 pages)
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Issues of ICT, school reform and learning-centred school design (2003) (484kb, 4 pages)
Simon Gipson
This report argues that schools need to become more tightly coupled, intentional learning organisations focused on the core business of schools – teaching and learning – within which ICT is an important and significant element.
Issues of ICT – full report (318kb, 30 pages)
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Leadership in large primary schools (2002) (183kb, 4 pages)
Professor Geoff Southworth and Dick Weindling
This was the first study of leadership and management in large primary schools and its aim was to discover how school leaders in large primary schools continue to develop.
Leadership in large primary schools – full report (463kb, 56 pages)
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Leadership, literacy and the creative arts (2006) (178kb, 6 pages)
Richard Rutherford
This research project investigated how the role of leadership has made an impact on the introduction of teaching and learning materials that link the teaching of literacy to the creative arts.
Leadership, literacy and the creative arts – full report (739kb, 18pages)
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Leading a research engaged school (2006) (606kb, 13 pages)
This study showed that research engagement helps school leaders to develop their schools and make them exciting places to work. This booklet aims to help you to understand more about research engagement and to envisage how it could work in your school.
A printed version, priced £5, is available by clicking the order button below.
Leading learning: instructional leadership in infant school (2002) (148kb, 6 pages)
Sue Benson
Research associate report looking at headteachers who promote reflection, collaboration and leadership at all levels and develop a range of teaching approaches.
Leading learning – full report (157kb, 24 pages)
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Leading sustainable schools (332kb, 54 pages)
What values, skills and behaviours do school leaders have to possess and demonstrate to enable their schools to become sustainable schools? This research for NCSL seeks to identify these and some of the barriers to success, as well as developing a better understanding of what practices distinguish sustainable school leadership from excellent school leadership in general.
See the leading sustainable schools web pages for more information.
Lifting the lid on the creative curriculum (2007) (458kb, 6 pages)
Tim Burgess
How leaders have released creativity in their schools through curriculum ownership.This study focuses on four successful but very different primary schools, each of which emphasise the importance of a creative curriculum.
Lifting the lid on the creative curriculum – full report (494kb, 23 pages)
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Making a difference – full report (2008) (177kb, 17 pages)
Making a difference – summary report (2008) (124kb, 13 pages)
NCSL’s purpose is to make a difference to children’s lives through excellent school leadership – growing and supporting current and future school and children’s centre leaders so that they can have a positive impact within and beyond their schools. We do this through our strategic initiatives, our leadership development programmes, and our policy and research activities. We know that NCSL’s activities are making a significant contribution to improving the capacity and capability of school leadership in England, which is judged by Ofsted to have reached an all-time high.
This new publication summarises the evidence of the impact that our on-going work with school and children’s centre leaders is achieving. It demonstrates the difference that great school leadership can make and the role NCSL is playing in supporting that. To order either the full or summary report, please email [email protected].
More than a feeling (2006) (402kb, 6 pages)
Kathleen Lee
This report focuses on the successful practice of a small number of secondary schools in developing an emotional climate for effective learning. It aims to give secondary school leaders an understanding of the rationale for promoting emotional literacy.
More than a feeling – full report (570kb, 63 pages)
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Narrowing the gap: reducing within-school variation in pupil outcomes (2006) (1.2Mb, 47 pages)
Warning: large file
Members of NCSL’s Leadership Network share their work and outcomes on how they have tackled within-school variation (WSV) in their schools. This guide includes case study illustrations from primary, secondary and special schools, an audit proforma and a description of how to measure WSV.
A printed version is available, priced £5.
Networked leadership in action: getting started with networked school self-evaluation (2006) (988kb, 16 pages)
This publication in NCSL’s Network leadership in action series is a practical development designed to provide school and network leaders with ideas to get started with Networked School Self-evaluation (NSSe). This booklet presents a process and four approaches developed within the Networked Learning Communities (NLC) programme. It includes snapshots from practice, both as illustration and to trigger your own thinking.
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No key issues: only as good as your last Ofsted? (2003) (114kb, 6 pages)
Trevor Atkinson
Research associate report investigating how successful primary schools have addressed the issues associated with maintaining and further developing momentum, progress and standards.
No key issues – full report (209kb, 41 pages)
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One step ahead of the game: leading change in ICT in support of pupils learning (2007) (kb, pages)
Ann Gill
This research project examined how the headteachers of five primary schools are using technological advances in order to improve the quality of education for their pupils. It explored the use of ICT, describing headteachers who embrace change and enjoy the challenge of being modern leaders in modern schools.
One step ahead of the game – full report (540kb, 35 pages)
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Open windows: becoming an e-learning school (2002) (513kb, 6 pages)
Moyra Evans
What do e-learning schools look like and how do they become e-learning schools? This research associate report looks at how e-learning can transform school, teaching and learning.
Open windows – full report (288kb, 42 pages)
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Picturing preferred futures: using case studies to investigate solution-focused approaches to school (2007) (262kb, 4 pages)
Neil Birch
The study comprises three UK schools and one in Sweden which all practise solution-focused approaches to school improvement in varying degrees. The purpose of the study was to identify the amount of staff collaboration and co-operation in all aspects of school improvement, particularly within teams, to build a sense of ownership.
Picturing preferred futures – full report (540kb, 25 pages)
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School Improvement Planning Framework (2008)
A suite of tools and techniques designed to help schools take their planning, strategic thinking and implementation to the next level. For more information and to order your copy, go to www.tda.gov.uk/schoolimprovement.
School leadership in England: contemporary challenges, innovative responses and future trends (142kb, 21 pages)
This is an abbreviated version of the recent review of school leadership in England for the OECD. The report sets out the broad forces impacting on school leaders over the past twenty years, the specific challenges these created and the ways in which school leaders and the education system more generally have responded.
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School leadership: concepts and evidence (2005) (892kb, 34 pages)
Frank Hartle
Literature review.
This paper aims to provide a summary synthesis of the most important sources in a form which is intended to be accessible for practitioners and policy-makers.
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Schools leading schools: the power and potential of National Leaders of Education (2008) (825kb, 78 pages) Warning: large document
This booklet summarises the growing evidence that the NLE programme is becoming one of the most effective levers of school improvement in recent years. When accompanied by other changes that are promoting partnerships between federations, academies, trusts and other schools, we potentially have the means to consign mediocre schooling to history and to ensure that every child experiences a good education. The NLE programme is showing how it is possible to harness the power and commitment of excellent school leaders to lead and improve the wider school system.
To order a printed copy of the report, email [email protected].
Self-evaluation: a guide for school leaders
This pack of guidance materials aim to help schools consider their existing and future self-evaluation practice. The first document gives further information about each element.
Pack contents and how to use (180kb, 2 pages)
Reflection and planning guide for school leaders (795kb, 32 pages)
Models, tools and examples of practice (818kb, 40 pages)
Background, principles and key learning (676kb, 56 pages)
A printed version of the pack is available, priced £10.
Seven strong claims about successful school leadership (2006) (4.72MB, 20 pages)
Those in leadership roles have a tremendous responsibility to get it right. Fortunately, we know a great deal about what getting it right means. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of this knowledge. This is a summary of the key findings of a review of literature undertaken by the authors as a point of departure for a large-scale empirical study organised around what we refer to as ‘strong claims’ about successful school leadership.
A printed version is available free of charge
Shaping up to the future: a guide to roles, structure and career development in secondary schools (2005) (892kb, 34 pages)
Frank Hartle
This study provides individuals, schools and other organisations supporting the secondary school system with some tools to inform decisions about people and school development, such as job design and remodelling the school.
A printed version is available, priced £5.
Successful leadership for promoting the achievement of white working class pupils – full report (2008) (280kb, 31 pages)
Denis Mongon and Christopher Chapman
This report found that ‘white British’ boys entitled to free school meals were the male group with lowest attainment and ‘white British’ girls entitled to free school meals were the female group with lowest attainment. The research identified and studied 12 schools (download the vignettes of the schools) that have managed to buck the national trend in the attainment levels of their white, working-class students, and from this it delivers a blueprint for school leadership.
Download the summary report.
Download the literature review.
Successful leadership for promoting the achievement of white working class pupils – literature review (2008) (395kb, 45 pages)
Denis Mongon and Christopher Chapman
This literature review is one of the outputs from the research project which reflects on successful leadership for promoting the achievement of white working class pupils. The review is based on a search of published and web based sources.
Download the full report and summary report. Download the vignettes of the 12 schools where the research was undertaken.
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Successful leadership for promoting the achievement of white working class pupils – summary (2008) (78kb, 7 pages)
This report found that ‘white British’ boys entitled to free school meals were the male group with lowest attainment and ‘white British’ girls entitled to free school meals were the female group with lowest attainment. The research identified 12 schools (download the vignettes of the schools) that have managed to buck the national trend in the attainment levels of their white, working-class students, and from this it delivers a blueprint for school leadership.
Download the full report.
Download the literature review.
Successful leadership for promoting the achievement of white working class pupils. Vignettes: twelve accounts of school life (2008) (574kb, 57 pages)
‘White British’ boys entitled to free school meals are the male group with lowest attainment and ‘white British’ girls entitled to free school meals are the female group with lowest attainment. This paper contains case studies of 12 schools that have managed to buck the national trend in the attainment levels of their white, working-class students. These vignettes accompany the full report and summary report that investigate white working class achievement at school, and the literature review that informed the report.
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Teachers leaders and reflective practioners : building the capacity of a school to improve by promoting research and reflection (2004) (99kb, 6 pages)
Despina Pavlou
Research associate report examining a secondary school that used action research to create a self-reflective culture to nurture school improvement.
Teacher leaders and reflective practitioners – full report (216kb, 16 pages)
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Teacher leadership: principles and practice (173kb, 6 pages)
Alma Harris
Sustaining improvement requires the leadership capability of the many rather than the few. This thinkpiece describes the principles and existing evidence behind the concept of teacher leadership.
Teacher leadership – full report (197kb, 30 pages)
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The challenge and opportunities of leading and managing an all-age school (2007) (448kb, 6 pages)
Heidi Swidenbank
This research aims to share the experiences of those leading all-age schools, identify the opportunities and challenges that these leaders face, focus on how leadership has evolved and make recommendations to existing and future leaders to support the sharing of good practice.
The challenges and opportunities of leading and managing an all-age school – full report (519kb, 20 pages)
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The school as a professional learning community (2004) (101kb, 4 pages)
Annette Hollingsworth
This research associate report explores the key issues affecting leadership of professional learning communities, drawing upon experiences in Tasmanian and English schools.
The school as a professional learning community – full report (247kb, 25 pages)
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Thinking headteachers thinking schools (2005) (130kb, 6 pages)
Sue Eagle, Janet French and Peter Malcolm
In 2002, ‘thinking skills’ was a phrase that held promise of a focus on how children learn, as opposed to a focus upon the delivery of centrally-prescribed lessons. This report examines how three headteachers are leading their schools to becoming communities of enquiry.
Thinking headteachers, thinking schools – full report (342kb, 29 pages)
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Under the microscope: leading in a climate of close public scrutiny (2008) (141kb, 6 pages)
Hilary Macaulay
This study examines and analyses the nature of successful leadership of academies and investigates the leadership styles, qualities, skills and contextual dimensions which enable previously seriously underperforming schools to transform themselves whilst their leadership operates under the microscope of close public scrutiny.
Under the microscope: leading in a climate of close public scrutiny – full report (772kb, 29 pages)
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Whether you are new to sustainability or already involved in the process, this NCSL sustainability toolkit can help you to develop sustainability. The toolkit was designed with school leaders and evaluated at all stages to ensure it is fit for purpose.
The toolkit includes a Getting Started booklet with a facilitator guide; an interactive resource with workbooks to help you structure your discussions and action points; a Why Should We booklet which explains why schools need to act now to become more sustainable; eight doorway booklets (based on the DCSF’s Sustainable Schools National Framework) which include case studies and practical tips about how to make your school sustainable.
Please see the Valuing our future: a toolkit for developing sustainable schools page for more information.
The toolkit, comprising all eleven booklets and the interactive resource, is available priced at £15.
What leaders read 1: key texts from the business world (2003) (238kb, 14 pages)
Jonathan Abra, Martin Hunter, Robert Smith and Steve Kempster
This document summarises a review of contemporary literature dedicated to the study of leadership and leadership development. Texts covered were not specifically related to education but rather draw on the more general leadership cannon.
What leaders read 1 – full report (474kb, 19 pages)
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What leaders read 2: key texts from education and beyond (2003)
(254kb, 22 pages)
Mel West, Mel Ainscow and Helen Notman
This document summarises a review of recent literature covering the development of leadership practice in schools.
What leaders read 2 – full report (317kb, 14 pages)
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What we know about school leadership (2007) (423kb, 23 pages)
NCSL has produced a substantial amount of evidence about school leadership with a strong focus on how leaders can make a difference. In 2006, after five years of active investigation and knowledge creation, the decision was made to collate the findings that had emerged, summarise them and communicate them in as straightforward a way as possible.
What we know about school leadership (1.2Mb, 132 pages)
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Working smarter together: the development of a enquiry team across twelve schools (2002) (484kb, 4 pages)
Research associate report giving an account of a project whose major aim was to develop an enquiry team across schools to effect school improvement.
Working smarter together – full report (280kb, 35 pages)
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