Chapman, Christopher James (2004) A study of external intervention and school improvement in schools facing challenging circumstances. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Central Government has identified a group of schools deemed to be 'Schools
facing Challenging Circumstances'. These schools tend to be low attaining
schools that serve socio-economically deprived communities. A range of policy
initiatives have resulted in a number of centrally driven interventions aimed at
improving these schools. This thesis focuses on the relationship between
external intervention and school improvement in schools facing challenging
circumstances. The research strategy consisted of three phases, combining case
study and survey approaches to explore two examples of centrally driven
external intervention. Phases one and two adopted a case study approach to
explore OfSTED inspection and the Schools facing Challenging Circumstances
Initiative as mechanisms for improvement, while phase three consisted of a
survey to triangulate data and explore some general questions pertaining to
external interventions. Thus, this research adopted a mixed methods approach
collecting interview, questionnaire and documentary evidence from a range of
sources and perspectives. The findings are based on data collected from
interviews with over 150 teachers in 21 schools and survey data collected from a
further 94 teachers in 6 schools facing challenging circumstances in one LEA.
This is the first study to explore the relationship between external intervention
and school improvement in this particularly challenging group of schools. The
findings suggest that if widespread reform is to be achieved a more sophisticated
approach to external intervention must be developed. Rather than treating these
schools as a homogeneous group, interventions must be differentiated to match
individual school cultures, capacity for change and development phase. In
conclusion, a typology of schools facing challenging circumstances is presented.
It is argued that this typology can inform our thinking to support more
sophisticated approaches to intervening and improving these schools.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	School improvement programs -- Great Britain, School management and organization -- Great Britain
Official Date:	May 2004
Dates:	Date Event May 2004 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Institute of Education
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Harris, Alma, 1958-
Extent:	396 p.
Language:	eng

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