Routledge Leading School Renewal: A Guide for Educational Ground Breakers

Leading School Renewal explores how school principal leadership behaviour impacts on school change endeavours, and in particular pedagogic renewal, which is a form of educational improvement that is primarily concerned with the growing of the knowledge, skills and beliefs of education in a manner that optimises students’ life options. The authors identify attributes of principals who have engaged in school renewal and examine the influences on their leadership behaviours and disposition towards renewing their schools while also acknowledging the influence of site-specific contextual variables. The authors propose that certain leadership behaviours exhibited by school principals are integral with renewing a school’s pedagogic focus. They argue renewal is a preferred form of sustainable educational change because it relates to deep-seated cultural changes in approaches to pedagogy, curriculum and school structures. Whilst also maintaining that leadership is at the heart of school improvement and principal leadership practices which are based on a clear sense of purpose, values and beliefs about learning and teaching can transform a school into a learning organisation. Including a foreword by Professor John Hattie, this book is appropriate for all school leaders and educators who want to learn more about school leadership behaviours and highly effective school change. Review This is a ‘must read’ for school practitioners, students, academics and policy makers and others whose central concern is renovation of schools. Authors Silcox and MacNeill have a wealth of experience academically, as school leaders, and in supervisory and administrative roles – together they have more than 40 years’ experience of leading schools and school systems. The central concept of the book – ‘school renewal’ – is nuanced and significant – indicating that the focus of school leaders should be on formulating a school improvement agenda which secures collaborative commitment of stakeholders, and as a process is continuous and step-wise, touching all aspects of their schools-Prof. Clive Dimmock, Professor of Professional Learning and Leadership, School of Education, University of Glasgow, UK; Emeritus Professor, University of Leicester This book is about focusing all stakeholders in the school in a common narrative, mission, evidence based and relentless focus on the learning lives of the students; it is about putting the impact of teaching at the forefront. Consequently, it is an illustration of collective efficacy in action-Prof. John Hattie, Laureate Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Melbourne University "Leading School Renewal" offers mentoring that is aimed at the heart of what brilliant principals do to improve outcomes for students. The authors describe the nitty-gritty bits of school leadership that only practising leaders actually see and do. This is a great guide for all school leaders, aspirant leaders, academics and school community members who are seeking a construct on which to renew their schools-Ray Boyd, Western Australian Principal of the Year About the Author Steffan Silcox has had an eclectic career in education including roles as both a primary and secondary school principal, district superintendent and Director of schools. He was a lecturer and coordinator of Curtin University’s education degree practicum programme. Silcox gained his PhD from Curtin University with ground-breaking research in the area of school pedagogic leadership. Neil MacNeill is a high-performing school principal, and has been a school superintendent, principal consultant, and lecturer in university Master of Education courses. A prolific writer, Neil constantly looks for better ways to promote teaching and learning, and he encourages younger teachers to write by offering co-authoring opportunities. Neil is currently a principal of a large primary school in Western Australia.