ABSTRACT
Leadership for learning rests on a shared sense of accountability. This is the thrust of the fifth principle connecting leadership and learning. It is a bold statement in a policy climate where accountability is unequivocally seen in the singular, with the ‘buck’ clearly resting on the headteacher’s desk. However, accountability has come to be understood within a policy context and with political overtones that carry very different meetings for those on whom accountability impacts more or less closely. The concept is further confounded by the way in which it translates, or fails to translate, into other languages and other cultural settings. This chapter attempts to shed some light on the confusions which surround the topic and concludes with some suggestions for a positive way forward.
