The working day of the subject leader and the impact of interruptions on teaching and learning in secondary schools

Summary

This short report summarizes the outcomes of observation of 56 subject leaders at work on one day in March 1998. It considers the extent to which the non‐teaching time of subject leaders is spent in aspects of leadership, management and administration at whole‐school and subject department level. Overall, the evidence indicates that there are many subject leaders who are still caught up in administrative rather than leadership activity, and that there are schools where the culture is such that interruption by other teachers or students is considered to be acceptable despite detrimental effects on continuity of teaching and learning.

Keywords:

• middle managers
• leadership
• administration