Publications focusing on issues for small schools, schools facing challenging circumstances and special schools.
Does Size matter? Distributed leadership in small secondary schools (2003) 
(496kb, 6 pages)
Mike Kimber
Distributed leadership in small secondary schools. This research reflects upon the nature of leadership in schools where practical steps have been made to build capacity.
Does size matter? – full report (248kb, 34 pages)
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Effective leadership in schools facing challenging circumstances (2002) (525kb, 4 pages)
Professor Alma Harris, Christopher Chapman
The aim of this small-scale research project was to contribute to the knowledge base concerning effective leadership but with a particular emphasis upon leadership in schools facing challenging.
Effective leadership in schools facing challenging circumstances – full report (579kb, 26 pages)
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Improving schools facing challenging circumstances: perspectives from leading thinkers (2004) (111kb, 6 pages)
Research associate report looking at practical issues that affect schools facing challenging circumstances and discussing these with eminent leaders and experts in the field.
Improving schools facing challenging circumstances – full report (325kb, 30 pages)
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Leadership and faith: working with and learning from school leaders (2005) (750kb, 2 pages)
NCSL has supported a number of projects focusing on leading schools of religious character. This report originates from discussions captured by the Leading Practice seminars on the subject, and identifies key themes and issues for the future.
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Leadership and inclusion : a special school perspective (2002) (363kb, 36 pages)
A summary of the debates, workshops and conversations that took place at a number of Leading Practice seminars investigating issues facing special schools. The materials have been developed either as a basis for personal reflection or for use in workshops to stimulate debate.
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Leadership and management in special schools (2003) (230kb, 33 pages)
Mel Ainscow, Sam Fox and Judy Coupe O’Kane
This document focuses on the challenges and dilemmas facing leaders in special schools during what is a period of considerable change and uncertainty.
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Leadership on the frontline: thriving and surviving in challenging circumstances (2004) (67kb, 4 pages)
Paula Taylor-Moore
Report about the lessons learned from taking part in a university-led research project based on the experiences of 18 teachers from schools in Belfast, Liverpool and London.
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Leading Islamic schools in the UK: a challenge for us all (2005) (130kb, 6 pages)
Ibrahim Lawson
This report holds up a mirror to the world of Islamic faith schools so that the schools themselves, and those outside the Muslim community, can see more clearly what is happening in them.
Leading Islamic schools – full report (295kb, 23 pages)
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Leading to success: judging success in primary schools in challenging contexts (2002) (102kb, 4 pages)
Stephen Englefield
Research associate report based on interviews with headteachers in primary schools working in challenging circumstances.
Leading to success – full report (172kb, 36 pages)
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Special leadership – what are the implications for the leadership of special schools of potential changes to the special school system? (2003) (100kb, 6 pages)
Nick Burnett
Research associate report considering how potential changes to the special school system could affect leaders of special schools.
Special leadership? – full report (1.90mb, 25 pages)
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Successful leadership of schools in urban and challenging contexts (2003) (184kb, 24 pages)
Wendy Keys, Caroline Sharp, Katy Greene and Hilary Grayson
A review of the literature designed to explore and analyse issues surrounding leadership in schools facing urban and challenging circumstances, where leadership is taken to refer to headteachers in primary, secondary and special schools.
Full report (584kb, 48 pages)
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Virtual leadership : a small school reality? (2005) (87kb, 4 pages)
Peter Ralley and Paul Cockcroft
This report is concerned with the impact of e-communications or computer-based communications, upon the role of the headteacher in a small school.
Virtual Leadership – full report (19kb, 16 pages)
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What’s good about leading schools in challenging circumstances (2007) (222kb, 16 pages)
This study arose from a seminar that gathered delegates’ stories of what makes working in schools with challenging circumstances so rewarding, and how the leaaders of such schools are supported, sustained and developed in their work.
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