ABSTRACT
As a newly qualified teacher (NQT) you spend a great deal of time working with groups of pupils in the classroom, but you also spend time working with colleagues in a number of teams/groups. Historically, the culture of schools was one of professional individualism (Metcalf, 1998) but as the importance of effective teamwork has been recognised in wholeschool development, there is greater emphasis on academic and pastoral teams. In the early 1990s the lack of teamwork in schools in England and its impact on their performance was highlighted in an OFSTED report:
At present the performance of most institutions and services is patchy and poorly co-ordinated. Either some aspects have been developed and others ignored, or success has depended on individuals’ strengths rather than on shared purposes and concerted teamwork. Often, policies and projects are not sustained long enough to make an impact.
