From teacher to manager: the role of the academic middle manager in secondary schools

Summary

This paper examines the role of academic middle managers since the implementation of the Education Reform Act 1988, drawing on the perceptions of middle managers. The data were collected from a large‐scale postal survey of middle managers in secondary schools in three local authorities and from three case‐study schools. Middle managers have acknowledged the need for management tasks, including the monitoring of colleagues' teaching, to be a central part of their role. The departmental team was found to be the most influential part of the middle managers' role set in all areas of decision‐making, with the head‐teacher and senior management team the next most significant. Middle managers still give top priority to their teaching, which takes up a high proportion of the school day, but now acknowledge the need to monitor colleagues' work to ensure the implementation of school policy. Despite the acceptance of their new managerial role, it remains difficult for middle managers to fulfil the new expectations because of the shortage of time.

Keywords:

• head of department
• middle managers
• secondary schools
• cshool management