The makeover: a new logic in leadership development in England

Abstract

The authors focus on the investment into school leadership in England during the New Labour governments from 1997, and through this they make a contribution to an ongoing scholarly conversation about leadership development. They are concerned to both understand and explain leadership as a policy intervention into the professional practice and identities of the school workforce. They argue that one of the dominant genres of contemporary media – the makeover – has become part of the policy‐making “game”. The paper uses the metaphor of makeover to critically examine the current approach to leadership development and to examine the policy game at play in English education.

Keywords:

• New Labour
• leadership development
• education policy
• school leadership
• cultural studies

Notes

1. X Factor is on ITV 1, http://xfactor.itv.com.

2. I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is on ITV 1, http://www.itv.com/Entertainment/reality/iacgmooh/default.html.

3. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is on Channel 5, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358332/.

4. Anthea Turner Perfect Housewife is on BBC 3, http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/tv/perfecthousewife/index.shtml.

5. 10 Years Younger is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/0-9/10yy/index.html.

6. Big Brother is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/.

7. Faking It is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/4od/index.html?cntsrc=ppc_4od_google_faking+it.

8. The Unteachables is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/U/unteachables/design.html.

9. Jamie’s School Dinners is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/J/jamies_school_dinners/.

10. Who Do You Think You Are? is on the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/familyhistory/.

11. What Not To Wear is on the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle/tv_and_radio/what_not_to_wear/. The current hosts are Mica Paris and Lisa Butcher. Trinny Woodhall and Susannah Constantine have moved to ITV and now host a programme called Undress the Nation, http://www.itv.com/undress/.

12. How Clean Is Your House? is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/4od/index.html?cntsrc=ppc_4od_google_How+Clean+Is+Your+House.

13. You Are What You Eat is on Channel 4, http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/Y/yawye/index.html.