ABSTRACT
External scrutiny and evaluation and stakeholder accountability have made leadership a role in which mistakes and mis-judgements are to be avoided at all costs. School leaders are used to operating in a world where ‘evidence’ is expected to ‘prove’ successful school practice. There can be criticism about practitioner research, because it may be seen as small-scale, anecdotal and non-replicable. Rhetoric about being research-/evidence-informed must match reality. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shares the experiences of new headteachers in their first 100 days in post. It explores how it feels to go to the least-desirable school in a catchment area. The book reports on a study that aimed to identify causes of occupational stress experienced by headteachers. It describes a new approach to appraisal and quality assurance that uses a holistic view of teachers’ impact on the children in their classes.
