Leadership across partnerships and networks

Greany, Toby

Abstract

This chapter focuses on leadership across inter-school partnerships and networks. It argues that existing research and policy has prioritised a focus on leadership within individual schools, but that this is insufficient in the context of contemporary societies and school systems. Networks offer the potential for more inclusive and rounded models of educational provision, but this is not a given – networks can equally have a ‘dark’ side and the chapter includes a vignette of a problematic, exclusive network. The chapter also: provides a brief overview of inter-school network policies and practices in different parts of the world; identifies core features of networks as well as common barriers which leaders must attend to; and analyses research and theory regarding the leadership of networks. It outlines three capabilities which appear central to successful network leadership: working productively with tensions and paradox, collective sensemaking, and adopting an ecological approach. Finally, it sets out two main suggestions for future development in this area: firstly, challenge the dominant focus on leadership within schools, and secondly, work to understand the structures, roles and capabilities required at ‘middle tier’ as well as school level in order to maximise the potential of networks that support equity.

Citation

Greany, T. (2023). Leadership across partnerships and networks. In P. A. Woods, A. Roberts, M. Tian, & H. Youngs (Eds.), Handbook on Leadership in Education (143-156). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800880429.00017

• Online Publication Date: Nov 17, 2023
• Publication Date: Nov 17, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 25, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 18, 2024
• Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
• Pages: 143-156
• Series Title: Elgar Handbooks in Education
• Book Title: Handbook on Leadership in Education
• Chapter Number: 11
• ISBN: 9781800880412
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800880429.00017
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7830841
• Related Public URLs: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-on-leadership-in-education-9781800880412.html
• Additional Information: This is a draft chapter. The final version is available in Handbook of Leadership in Education edited by Philip A Woods, Amanda Roberts, Meng Tian, Howard Youngs, published in 2023, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-on-leadership-in-education-9781800880412.html; It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
• Contract Date: Apr 22, 2022