ABSTRACT
This chapter places the classroom within the setting of the school as a complex organisation. We chose it for the clear description it offers of the whole school at work, and for its analysis of the role of the head. In joining a new school, the beginning teacher will need to try to find out the structure of the organisation, roles and responsibilities, and systems of communication. Drawing on this chapter, it should also be possible to investigate how far a ‘collective purpose’ has been achieved among the staff and pupils, and how far this is shared with parents and the local community.
