School culture

Hill West Research Papers

An evaluation of the cultural change in an amalgamated school - identifying the nexus between this change and school leadership

By Dr. Beth Clarke April 2009

An evaluation of the cultural change in an amalgamated school - identifying the nexus between this change and school leadership

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Contents

Page

Introduction

3-5

Literature Review

6 - 10

Methodology

11 - 14

Presentation and Analysis of Data

15 - 19

Conclusion

20 - 22

References

23 - 24

Appendix 1

25 - 26

Appendix 2

27 - 30

Appendix 3

31 - 35

Appendix 4

36 – 38

Appendix 5

39 – 40

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Introduction

The Primary School in which this study took place amalgamated in September 2004.

This amalgamation signalled a period of transition for all concerned, with the departure of both the previous Infant and Junior Head Teacher’s and Deputy Head Teacher’s. I was appointed as the Deputy Head Teacher, along with the new Head Teacher on the first day of amalgamation and this was an unforgettable experience. I was joining two well-established but completely separate groups of professionals who had been thrown together by circumstance. During the first term I saw much unhappiness. Three years on and with yet another Head Teacher (myself) the school staff appeared united, happy and fully supportive of the newly appointed school leadership team. From my perspective, there had definitely been a change in school culture. Had this change been perceived by the staff? The need for an evaluation of the cultural change in this amalgamated school therefore emerged. This research project focused on three clear research questions. One: did the school staff perceive a change in school culture; Two: what did the staff attribute to this change; Three: Is there a direct relationship between school leadership and cultural change?

Whilst reading related topics and themes for this study I found an abundance of research about school culture, also about the process of change and about educational leadership and yet these themes did not seem to have been written about collectively.

Yet for me there is an intrinsic link from one to the other. The aim of this study, broken down into three research questions, was to explore whether or not there had been a direct relationship between school leadership and cultural change.

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Initially, it is necessary to define what is meant by ‘culture’. Dimmock and Walker (2005) define culture as the norms and values held by members of a given group that distinguish it from other groups. Values are abstract ideals, while norms define principles or rules that people are expected to observe. Thus ‘culture’ refers to the whole way of life of the members of a society or group.

Educational organisations develop their own sets of values and priorities argued Dimmock and Walker (2005). Indeed just as in the larger society, some in the organisation may deliberately and consciously cultivate and perpetuate certain values and norms making cultural change very difficult indeed. Such behaviour can unite particular members of the organisation, creating a synergy that often pulls away from the direction being signalled by the school leadership. It is also a means to distinguish the organisation from others, and to give it an identity to which members feel they can belong.

Leadership is perhaps a little easier to define.

“There seems to be general agreement that leadership involves setting the general and longer-term directions of the organisation. Above all… leadership is a socially bounded and constructed process. Values, thoughts and behaviours that are the essence of leadership are social and interactive processes”. (Dimmock and Walker, 2005, p.12).

Dimmock and Walker (2005) argued that recognising the nexus between leadership on the one hand, and cultural and contextual influences on the other, could lead more readily to change and improvement in practice.

“Educational leadership is a socially bounded process. It is subject to the cultural traditions and values of the society in which it is exercised. In this it is no different from other social processes. It thus manifests itself in different ways in different settings”. (Dimmock and Walker, 2005, p.1)

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This study therefore set out to ascertain in the first instance whether or not the staff had perceived a change in school culture, secondly, if so, what they had attributed this change too and thirdly whether or not a direct link could be identified between school leadership and cultural change. The study was based on one primary research method – questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to those staff present in the school at the time of amalgamation. They have been analysed, and key themes identified. Ethical considerations are explained and the research is drawn together in the conclusion.

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Literature Review

This literature review will explore published research and focus on three over-arching themes: organisational culture, the process of change and educational leadership. Key authors were identified and will include Dimmock and Walker (2005), Bush and Middlewood (2005) and Evans (2001 and 2003). It was the analytical framework developed by Evans (2003) that has been used in the design of the research.

Organisational Culture Dimmock and Walker (2005) explain that the emergence of culture as a conceptual framework for theory building and the analysis of practice in educational leadership and management is a recent phenomenon. Culture resides in the background and represents the assumptions, values and norms that underlie daily activities.

Culture has a major function in binding social groups together. From a sociological perspective, it has been defined in terms of the ‘symbolic and learned, non-biological aspects of human society’ (Abercrombie et al, 1994) that include customs, language and convention. Expressed in these terms, culture is a normative concept, with the underlying assumption that there is a common or dominant culture acting as a force for social consensus (Dimmock and Walker, 2005).

Bush and Middlewood (2005) argued that the emergence in significance of the desire for a cultural understanding of educational organisations came from the dissatisfaction with those leadership and management models that stressed the structural and technical aspects of schools. The focus on the intangible world of values and attitudes

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became a useful counter to those bureaucratic assumptions helping to produce a more balanced portrait of educational institutions.

“Beliefs, values and ideology are at the heart of organisations. Individuals hold certain ideas and value-preferences which influence how they behave and how they view the behaviour of other members. These norms become shared traditions which are communicated within the group and are reinforced by symbols and ritual” (Bush, 2003, p.156).

It is clear to see therefore, that the culture of an organisation has a definite part to play in determining schools’ success and effectiveness. Understanding the culture of one’s organisation can surely improve daily activity.

Change Process Our capacity for changing the way we work and the way we educate our workers is described by Evans (2001) as critical to our ability to thrive in the 21st Centaury.

Change is about school improvement but if schools are to truly improve, then significant across the board transformations need to take place.

Evans (2001) suggested that the knowledge base about school change has grown over the past few decades. However few school leaders have received the regular training in organizational development and innovation that is common among business executives.

Many educational change efforts fail due to expectable problems that well trained leaders would anticipate (Evans, 2001). Central lessons leaned about previous rounds of innovation suggested Evans (2001) show that they failed because they didn’t influence fundamental, underlying, systemic features of school life: they didn’t change the behaviours, norms and beliefs of practitioners.

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There is a growing recognition that school culture holds the key to the effective management of change and school improvement. Hopkins (1993) stated that: “In many of our successful schools, there is a recognition that the social aspects of change are at least as important as the technical emphasis on prioritisation and strategic planning. It is thought such an approach to school development that recognises the social complexity of change that some schools are managing to achieve quality in times of change” (Hopkins, 1993, cited in Dimmock and Walker 2005 p.68).

Stoll (1999) outlined the process of change as follows. First, understanding the school’s culture should be a prerequisite for any external change agent. Secondly, the leadership role of the Head Teacher will be vital in generating the process of change through providing vision, purpose and direction. Thirdly, re-culturing or normative re-education strategies will be needed that include the clarification and reconstruction of values, improving the problem – solving capacity of staff and establishing supportive structures.

Vaill, (1998), however argued convincingly that it is likely that organisational culture cannot be changed and that trying to do so simply strengthens the existing culture and stimulates resistance. Any organisation that sets out to change its own culture remains powerfully influenced by that culture, even as it attempts to change. Real culture change is systematic change at a deep psychological level involving attitudes, actions, and artefacts that have developed over substantial periods of time. No organisation can readily abandon the deep structures on which its very coherence and significance depends.

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Understanding the culture of one’s own organisation therefore appears to be an imperative but complex matter. If change is to be successful however, then it needs to be embedded in the culture of the organisation and influence norms and beliefs.

School Leadership Educational leaders have the main responsibility for generating and sustaining culture and communicating core values and beliefs both within the organisation and to external stakeholders (Bush and Middlewood, 2005).

Effective leaders of staff recognise the crucial importance of motivation and job satisfaction, not least because it underpins the culture of the whole organisation.

Those that enjoy their work feel fulfilled and valued and inevitably emit positive attitudes and beliefs.

Evans (2003) found, through detailed research, that schoolteacher’s morale, job satisfaction and motivation was influenced much less by externally initiated factors, such as salary, educational policy and conditions of service, than by school-specific or, more precisely, job-specific factors such as the colleagues they were working with and types of children they taught. It was leadership that emerged as a key factor that influenced attitudes.

Evans (2003) identified six specific issues that effected job satisfaction and the overall culture of an organisation. These included equity and justice, pedagogy, organisational efficiency, interpersonal relations, collegiality and finally self conception / self – image (for a full explanation see Appendix 1). These specific job

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satisfaction indicators have been used as the analytical framework to measure job satisfaction and organisation culture in this study at two distinct points in time.

Evans (2003) argued that a good match was a work context that did not compromise the individuals’ norms and values. Good school leadership sets and maintains a culture that is compatible with the needs, expectations, values and ideologies of their staff.

To summarise therefore, effective leadership resulting in whole school effectiveness is intrinsically linked with well-managed change within the context of the schools prevailing culture. Any change in culture (if in fact, possible at all) will take time as people’s norms and values evolve. There is little doubt however that knowing and understanding the prevailing culture of an organisation can only enhance the change process.

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Research Design

In the previous sections I have explored the theoretical framework that underpins the work upon which my analysis, conclusions and recommendations are based. This section concerns itself with the methodological procedures that were used.

Case Study A case study was conducted in this instance “in an attempt to illuminate the general by looking at the particular”, (Denscome, 2003). By analysing the culture in one organisation at two distinct periods in time an attempt was made at drawing on generalisations about the process of cultural change. Flick (2006) argued that the aim of a case study is to precisely describe or reconstruct a case – a case meaning a social community or organisation as the subject of case analysis. Case studies are preferable with small – scale research projects suggested Denscombe (2003).

“The value of a case study approach is that it has the potential to deal with the subtleties and intricacies of complex social situations. This potential comes from the strategic decision to restrict the range of the study to just one or a few cases” (Denscombe, 2003, p.37, 38).

In contrast however, the case study approach is vulnerable to criticism in relation to its credibility of generalisations made from its findings, and so care will have to be taken to demonstrate the extent to which the case is similar to or contrasts with, others of its type.

The aim of this research was to identify whether or not the staff had perceived a change in culture, if so what they had attributed this change too and whether or not there was a direct link between school leadership and organisational change. In order

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to explore this fully it was necessary to identify a suitable qualitative, humanistic research tool.

Research Although case study approach can lead a researcher to a variety of research methods a questionnaire survey was the research tool chosen for this small-scale study. The advantages of using a questionnaire as the research tool included the fact that it could reach a large number of respondents who were guaranteed anonymity and were therefore able to respond honestly. “The wording of the questions is one of the most difficult features of questionnaire design. It is also one of the most important to get right�.

(Denscombe, 2003, p.152).

In my role as researcher I designed a questionnaire survey of staff perceptions with spaces for textual response (see Appendix 2). To ensure validity the questionnaire was developed around the conceptual framework described by Evans (2003) who identified six specific issues that effected job satisfaction and the overall culture of an organisation. It was essential that the questions not only explored crucial themes but also elicited the truth. For this reason, having designed the questionnaire, I piloted it on fellow researchers’ and a school employee. Following the pilot it was necessary to make adjustments before issuing it to the sample of respondents. (See Appendix 3) The sample chosen to complete the questionnaire included all seventeen staff that had been present at the point of amalgamation and were still employed by the school. In an attempt to triangulate they included teachers, teaching assistants, administrative workers and the schools building site supervisor.

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I administered the questionnaire during a staff meeting, giving participants the time necessary for completion. This meant that I did not have to concern myself with postal distribution or returns. Seventeen questionnaires were issued and completed.

Ethical Considerations As a social researcher I was conscious of the need to operate with honesty and integrity (Denscombe, 2003) ensuring an ethical approach to the collection of the data. Colleagues were asked to participate in this study and were given the option to decline. Their anonymity was guaranteed although I was aware of the problems associated with context in qualitative data and research such as this. As with much qualitative research this study produced information about a single organisation.

When a single case is studied in well – defined fields it is much easier to identify the “real” person from the context information included (Flick, 2006). I was aware of this and therefore designed the questionnaire to ensure that the responses would not reveal individual identities.

Limitations of the Study This research was limited in its methodology. When opting for a case study approach argued Denscombe (2003) the social researcher is likely to confront scepticism about the findings – scepticism that arises from doubts about how far it is reasonable to generalize from the findings. As a researcher I was aware that the questionnaire used to understand the culture of the organisation could never be neutral in its’ questioning.

As researchers, the meanings we attach to things that happen and the language that we use to describe them, are the product of our own culture, social background and personal experiences. Making sense of the respondents’ answers was open to

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interpretation but to counteract some of these claims a structured approach was used for the collection of data.

In the next section I will go on to describe my findings before finally drawing on some generalisations in the conclusion.

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Presentation and Analysis of the Data

The presentation and analysis of data has been sub-divided into two sections. The first section cites evidence gained from analysing all of the preliminary questions posed on the questionnaire about how the staff perceived the culture of the school at two distinct periods in time. This section will also expand on whether or not the staff had actually perceived a change in school culture over time (see Appendix 4). The second section will analyse the open-ended questions about the catalyst for any perceived change in school culture and try to evaluate the effect leadership has on cultural change (see Appendix 5). Both sections will consider the perspectives of the different groups within the school.

Organisational Culture / Does it Change Over Time?

Focusing on feelings of equity and justice it was evident to see that there had been a minor shift in staff perceptions. At the point of amalgamation two staff stated that they had frequently felt unfairly treated by the Head Teacher. This compared with no staff in June 2007. There was also a reduction in the number of staff who said that they sometimes felt unfairly treated with five stating this at the point of amalgamation and three in June 2007. These responses were mirrored when staff were asked to comment on whether they felt that others had been unfairly treated. Although staff perceived a greater amount of unfairness towards others e.g. with ten staff feeling that others were sometimes unfairly treated at the point of amalgamation and six in June 2006, the reduction in percentage remained constant.

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When the pedagogical questions were posed about the appropriateness of curriculum delivery there seemed to be a greater perception of change. For example only one member of staff felt that an appropriate curriculum was always delivered in the first term of amalgamation as opposed to seven staff in June 2007. This response was reinforced when the staff were asked if they ever felt that they were being asked to teach or implement a policy that they disagreed with. Ten of the staff replied that they never or infrequently were asked to do this at the point of amalgamation and this figure had increased to fifteen.

There was also a large shift in staff perceptions of organisational effectiveness with fourteen staff stating that the day-to-day management of the school in June 2007 was either always or frequently efficient with only seven stating this during the first term of amalgamation. When staff were asked about their interpersonal relations there also appeared to be a clear shift in perceptions. During the first term of amalgamation three staff stated that they never or infrequently enjoyed staffroom conversations or interactions. In June 2007, that figure was zero. Nine staff had stated that they sometimes, frequently or always enjoyed interactions at the point of amalgamation and this had increased to fifteen.

When asked about their interpersonal relations with the Head Teachers during this time a similar perspective emerged. Five staff stated that they frequently or always had good interpersonal relations with the Head Teacher at the point of amalgamation and this had increased to thirteen by June 2007. Interestingly two staff declined to answer questions on interpersonal relations.

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When the staff were asked about the collegiality of the school setting and whether or not this had had positive or negative effect on their work output a clear change in perception was once again evident. Three staff stated that at the point of amalgamation they never or infrequently had interpersonal relations that had a positive impact on their work output. However in June 2007 no staff cited this, instead thirteen (as opposed to six at the point of amalgamation) stated that interpersonal relations frequently or always impacted positively on their work output.

The majority of staff also stated that they felt that the Head Teacher consulted them and valued their opinion. This is in contract to the perceptions at the point of amalgamation.

Interestingly when staff were asked about their self-image both personally and professionally there were some surprising results. It appeared that staff had a more positive personal self-image three years into the amalgamation than they had at the point of amalgamation and that more staff had a more positive professional selfimage. However the greatest impact had been seen in personal self-image and not professional self-image. Change causes uncertainty and professional questioning of values, beliefs and norms – could this be the explanation?

When staff were asked to use one word to summarise the culture of the school during the first term of amalgamation the tone of phraseology used was mostly negative, it included; ‘callous, uncertain, haphazard, unsettled, dodgy, depressed, tense, divided, split, demoralised, negative. However two staff did describe it as, ‘exciting and good’. When asked the same question about the culture in June 2007 staff described it as, ‘good, improved, positive, happy, together, united, hardworking, settled,

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balanced, challenged, controlling and stressful. In the main, there seemed to have been a positive shift in staff perception of school culture.

Interestingly there was no clear pattern to be seen in the answers of different groups within the sample. It became apparent that the perceptions of teachers, teaching assistants, administrative workers and the school building site supervisor had all altered over time, most significantly in relation to organisational effectiveness. The conceptual framework proposed by Evans (2003) argued that equity and justice, pedagogy, organisational effectiveness, interpersonal relations, collegiality and selfimage are key indicators of job satisfaction, then it is clearly arguable that three years into amalgamation the staff were happier and more satisfied.

Leadership – a Catalyst for Change Although staff perceptions had clearly shifted in all six areas of job satisfaction, arguably the greatest changes were witnessed in collegial relationships, organisational effectiveness and the appropriateness of the curriculum and related policies and practices. Evans (2003) claimed that leadership is an important factor for consideration in terms of what influences job-related attitudes among educational professionals and so it would be fair to conclude from this evidence that leadership features prominently in establishing and maintaining school culture.

When the staff were asked what they attributed the change in school culture to, the responses included references to the strong leadership and management displayed by the Head Teacher and senior leadership team and the importance of a cohesive staff working towards the same aims and goals. If the primary role of a Head Teacher is to set the strategic vision for the school, outlining aims and goals then it is possible to

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assume that an influential factor impacting on school culture was in fact the Head Teacher as leader.

When asked how important the staff felt that the role of the Head Teacher was in developing and sustaining a positive school culture, all respondents stated that this was very important. Teacher A said, “vital, people follow the leader”, Teacher D said, “very, catalyst for change”, Administrator A, said, “very important, staff morale depends on strong leadership, fair views and a secure working environment” and Teaching Assistant G said, “Head Teacher is a key role – sets the general ethos”.

In summary therefore the evidence overwhelmingly suggested that there had most definitely been a change in school culture and the catalyst for this change had been the leadership of the school.

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Conclusion To conclude, I joined this school at the point of amalgamation and perceived the school culture at that time to be one of overwhelming unhappiness and conflict.

Three years on, I believed the culture to be far more cohesive and happy. I was interested to investigate whether or not staff perceptions were similar to my own and if so what they attributed this change to. Although this preliminary study was limited by a number of constraints including the timescale, word count, and the limited research tools used, it set out to answer three questions. One: did the staff perceive a change in school culture over time; Two: if so, what did they attribute this change to; and finally three: Is there a direct relationship between school leadership and cultural change?

Culture relates to the informal aspects of organisations rather than their official elements. It focuses on values, beliefs, and norms of individuals in an organisation and how these individual perceptions coalesce into shared meanings. For this reason the culture of an organisation is very difficult to measure and a change in culture is exceptionally difficult to analyse qualitatively. For the purpose of this study a conceptual framework developed by Evans (2003) was used to measure job satisfaction at two distinct points in time on the journey of amalgamation. The results of this would allude to whole school culture and illustrate whether there had been a change over time.

In response to my first research question the evidence collected in this study overwhelmingly suggested that there had been a change in staff perceptions, job satisfaction and the overriding school culture. This is in contrast with the work of

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Vaill (1998), who argued that organisational culture could not be changed and that trying to do so would simply strengthen the existing culture and stimulate resistance.

Although this may be true at some level, it is clear to see from the findings above, that a change in culture was in fact possible and had in fact happened. Real cultural change argued Vaill (1998) is a systematic change at a deep psychological level involving attitudes, actions, and artefacts that have developed over substantial periods of time. It appears that in this school this had begun to happen with staff perceptions in all six areas of job satisfaction improving.

The second research question was concerned with whom to attribute a change in school culture to. Stoll (1999) argued that the leadership role of the Head Teacher is vital in generating the process of change through providing vision, purpose and direction. This is supported in the findings cited above with the majority of staff citing the Head Teacher as the catalyst for change in culture. This is also in support of the work of Evans (2003) who suggested that schoolteachers’ morale, job satisfaction and motivation was influenced much less by externally initiated factors than by school-specific factors i.e. leadership.

Fullan (1999) argued that if schools are to truly improve, then significant across the board transformations need to take place and these need to be rooted in school culture.

Having been described by Ofsted as ‘a rapidly improving school’ in January 2006, having made improvements at an alarming rate in the last three years as demonstrated by external awards and having witnessing a change in school culture as suggested by the evidence cited above this would seem to support the work of Fullan (1999).

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One of the surprising findings illuminated by this small-scale research project was the fact that staff perceptions varied so considerably within similar groups. The questionnaires highlighted the fact that individual members of staff, working in the same role, had very different perceptions. This leads me to conclude that the precise nature of the values and ideologies that underpinned individuals’ conceptions of what, for them, were ideal working conditions differed, even under similar circumstances and leadership. Evans (2003) argued that good school leadership sets and maintains a culture that is compatible with the needs, expectations, values and ideologies of their staff. What, however, Evans (2003) failed to acknowledge was the differences in staff perceptions that lead to very obvious sub-cultures within the organisation. These subcultures and differences in perception make the goal of creating and sustaining a culture that is comfortable for all staff very challenging.

The final research question in this study asked whether or not there was a direct link between school leadership and cultural change. The analysis above has proved that inevitably school leadership is intrinsically linked with school culture and that the success of both are interdependent. This, I would argue, has implications for all school leaders, not just those in an amalgamated school setting. As a direct result of this study, I now have a greater understanding of the organisational culture in my own school and the different perceptions held by staff working in the same role. This will enable me to introduce future changes in a way that better suit the norms and values of all of my staff. If this research was to be developed further I would suggest exploring the different sub-cultures evident to establish the different norms and beliefs held. This would then allow the leadership style of the Head Teacher and senior leaders to better impact change.

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References

Abercrombie, N. et al, (1994) Contemporary British Society: A New Introduction to Sociology. Cambridge: Policy Press

Bush, T. (2003) Theories of Educational Leadership and Management: Third Edition.

London: Sage Publicaitons

Bush, T. and Middlewood, D. (2005) Leading and Managing People in Education.

London: Sage Publications

Denscombe, M. (2003) The Good Research Guide, Second Edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press

Dimmock, C. and Walker, A. (2005) Educational Leadership Culture and Diversity, London: Sage Publications

Evans, L. (1998) Teacher Morale, Job Satisfaction and Motivation. London: Paul Chapman Publishing

Evans, L. (2003), cited in Kydd, L. Anderson, L. and Newton, W. (2003) Leading People and Teams in Education (Eds), London: Open University Press in association with Paul Chapman Publishing

Evans, R. (2001) The Human Side of School Change; reform, resistance and real life problems of innovation, California: Jossey-Bass Books Flick, U. (2006) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 3rd Edition, London: Sage Publications

Fullan, M. (1999) Change Forces: The Sequel. London: Falmer Press

Grbich, C (2007) Qualitative data analysis, an introduction, London: Sage Publications

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Kydd, L. Anderson, L. and Newton, W. (2003) Leading People and Teams in Education(Eds), London: Open University Press in association with Paul Chapman Publishing

Stoll, L. (1999) School Culture: black hole or fertile garden for school improvement?

In Prosser, J. (eds), School Culture (pp. 30 – 47). London: Paul Chapman Publishing

Vaill, P. (1998) Spirited Leading and Learning: Process Wisdom for a New Age. California: Jossey Bass Books

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Appendix 1 Conceptual Framework of Job Satisfaction based on Evans (2003)

Equity and Justice – situations and circumstances that were considered to be unfair were identified as sources of dissatisfaction. The range of perceived unfairness included situations and circumstances that discriminated against the individual him / herself, discrimination against others, afforded unmerited advantages to others and differentiated where it was felt there should be uniformity or commonality.

Pedagogy – this concerned individuals’ perceptions of the quality of educational provision within their institutions. Dissonance between individuals’ views and those reflected in policy and practice within their institutions potentially contributed towards compromising contexts.

Organisational efficiency – where the organisation was perceived to be inefficient or where the leadership of the organisation was seen to be inefficient led to compromising contexts.

Interpersonal relations – the importance within schoolteachers working lives of staffroom relations has been highlighted in several studies (Nias, 1985, Nias et al, 1989, Woods, 1984, 1990). Compromising contexts were those in which the extent and or the nature of workplace interpersonal relations failed to match individuals’ ideals.

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Collegiality – refers to work related product or output of workplace interpersonal relations. It includes features such as the degree and quality of: teamwork, cooperative ways of working, consultation and interdependence and support among colleagues. Uncompromising contexts were those in which individuals perceptions of the level and or quality of collegiality that prevailed within their institutions or departments approximated to their ‘ideals’.

Self-conception and self-image – this in essence is an amalgamation of the five issues detailed above. It concerns the extent to which individuals work contexts supported, reinforced and even shaped their perceptions of themselves, both personally and professionally.

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Appendix 2 Staff Questionnaire – Pre Pilot This questionnaire sets out to ascertain your thoughts and feelings about our school culture at two distinct points in time on our journey of amalgamation.

A. Please circle the appropriate Key Stage below.

Oct 2004 I worked in

KS1

KS2

June 2007 I work in

KS1

KS2

Please answer all the following questions by circling one number in each section.

1 is most definitely and 5 is absolutely not.

Equity and Justice 1. Have you ever felt unfairly treated?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

2. Have you ever felt that somebody else has been unfairly treated?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

Pedagogy or Androgogy 3. Was / is the quality of the school’s educational provision unsatisfactory?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

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2

3

4

5

4. Have you ever felt that you were being asked to teach, deliver or implement a policy that you strongly disagreed with?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

Organisational Effectiveness 5. Was / is the day-to-day management of the school efficient?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

6. Has organisational inefficiency ever impacted on your working life?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

Interpersonal Relations 7. Did / do you enjoy staff room conversations and interactions?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

8. Interpersonal relations are excellent in our school.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

28

2

3

4

5

Collegiality 9. Interpersonal relations had / have a positive impact on my work output.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

10. I feel that we are a collegial organisation where my views are consulted Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

Self-conception and self-image 11. I had / have a very positive personal self - image Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

12. I had / have a very positive professional self - image Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation 1

2

3

4

June 2007 – current day

5

1

2

3

4

5

13. Use five words to summarise the culture of our organisation during the first term of amalgamation ___________________________

_________________________

___________________________

_________________________

___________________________

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14. Use five words to summarise the culture of our organisation now ___________________________

_________________________

___________________________

_________________________

___________________________

15. List two ways in your opinion in which we could improve the culture of our organisation

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Appendix 3 Staff Questionnaire This questionnaire sets out to ascertain your thoughts and feelings about our school culture at two distinct points in time on our journey of amalgamation. Please answer honestly and feel assured that all responses will remain confidential.

A. Please circle the appropriate Key Stage below Oct 2004 I worked in

KS1

KS2

June 2007 I work in

KS1

KS2

In the following section please circle the word that best describes you thoughts and feelings

Equity and Justice 1. Have you ever felt unfairly treated by the Head Teacher?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently

frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently

frequently

sometimes always

2. Have you ever felt that someone else was unfairly treated by the Head teacher?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

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sometimes always

Pedagogy 3. Was / is an appropriate curriculum being delivered for children?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

4. Have you ever felt that you were being asked to teach, deliver or implement a policy that you strongly disagreed with?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

Organisational Effectiveness 5. Was / is the day-to-day management of the school efficient?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

6. Has organisational inefficiency ever impacted on your working life?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently

frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

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sometimes always

Interpersonal Relations 7. Did / do you enjoy staff room conversations and interactions?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently

sometimes

frequently

always

8. Did / do you have good interpersonal relations with the Head Teacher?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

Collegiality 9. Interpersonal relations had / have a positive impact on my work output.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

10. I feel that the Head Teacher consults me about my views and values my opinions.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

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sometimes always

Self-conception and self-image 11. I had / have a very positive personal self – image.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

12. I had / have a very positive professional self – image.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never

infrequently frequently

sometimes

June 2007 – current day never

always

infrequently frequently

sometimes always

13. Use one word to summarise the culture of our school during the first term of amalgamation. ___________________________

14. Use one word to summarise the culture of our school now. _____________________________

15. If you have perceived a change in school culture what do you consider to be the catalyst of this change? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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16. How important do you think the role of the Head Teacher is in developing and sustaining a positive school culture? Why? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

17. In your opinion, how could the current school culture be improved? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

If you have any other comments that you would like to make about school culture feel free to do so in the text box below.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire.

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Appendix 4 Questionnaire Analysis – Part A Equity and Justice 1. Have you ever felt unfairly treated by the Head Teacher?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1111111 7 infrequently 111 3 sometimes 11111 5 frequently 11 2 always 0

June 2007 – current day never 111111111 9 infrequently 11111 5 sometimes 111 3 frequently 0 always 0

2. Have you ever felt that someone else was unfairly treated by the Head teacher?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1111 4 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 1111111111 10 frequently 11 2 always 0

June 2007 – current day never 111111 6 infrequently 11111 5 sometimes 111111 6 frequently 0 always 0

Pedagogy 3. Was / is an appropriate curriculum being delivered for children?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 0 infrequently 11 2 sometimes 111111 6 frequently 1111111 7 always 1 1

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 11 2 sometimes 1 1 frequently 111111 6 always 1111111 7

4. Have you ever felt that you were being asked to teach, deliver or implement a policy that you strongly disagreed with?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1111111 7 infrequently 111 3 sometimes 111111 6 frequently 1 1 always 0

June 2007 – current day never 1111111111 10 infrequently 11111 5 sometimes 1 1 frequently 1 1 always 0

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Organisational Effectiveness 5. Was / is the day-to-day management of the school efficient?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1 1 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 11111111 8 frequently 111111 6 always 1 1

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 11 2 frequently 111111 6 always 11111111 8

6. Has organisational inefficiency ever impacted on your working life?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1111 4 infrequently 111 3 sometimes 11111111 8 frequently 11 2 always 0

June 2007 – current day never 111 3 infrequently 111111111 9 sometimes 1111 4 frequently 1 1 always 0

Interpersonal Relations 7. Did / do you enjoy staff room conversations and interactions?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 111 3 infrequently 111 3 sometimes 11 2 frequently 1111 4 always 111 3

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 0 sometimes 111111 6 frequently 111111 6 always 111 3

8. Did / do you have good interpersonal relations with the Head Teacher?

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1111 4 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 11111 5 frequently 11 2 always 111 3

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 0 sometimes 1 2 frequently 11111 5 always 11111111 8

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Collegiality 9. Interpersonal relations had / have a positive impact on my work output.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1 1 infrequently 11 2 sometimes 1111111 7 frequently 1111 4 always 11 2

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 0 sometimes 111 3 frequently 11111111 8 always 11111 5

10. I feel that the Head Teacher consults me about my views and values my opinions.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1111 4 infrequently 1111 4 sometimes 1111 4 frequently 111 3 always 1 1

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 11111 5 frequently 111111 6 always 1111 4

Self-conception and self-image 11. I had / have a very positive personal self – image.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 11 2 infrequently 111 3 sometimes 1111 4 frequently 11 2 always 111111 6

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 11111 5 frequently 111111 6 always 11111 5

12. I had / have a very positive professional self – image.

Oct 2004 – first term of amalgamation never 1 0 infrequently 1111 4 sometimes 1111 4 frequently 1111 4 always 1111 4

June 2007 – current day never 0 infrequently 1 1 sometimes 111111 6 frequently 1111 11 6 always 1111 4

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Appendix 5 Questionnaire Analysis – Part B Questions

If you have perceived a change in school culture what do you consider to be the catalyst of this change?

Responses -

How important do you think the role of the Head Teacher is in developing and sustaining a positive school culture? Why

-

-

In your opinion, how could the current school culture be improved?

-

proactive, energetic management direction management team leadership of the school proper head, stability and consistent leadership new management more cohesive staff change in staff all working towards one aim change in leadership, strong vision, staff willing to make changes bringing together KS1 and KS2 being listened to and valued. Not disregarding previous practice new Head Teacher, consultations with staff, listening and being together but with careful direction vital, people follow the leader very important, provides challenge for staff and necessary support very strong leadership – strong team very important , leads by example very important – role model very, catalyst for change very important, staff morale depends on strong leadership, fair views and a secure working environment Important role of the Head Teacher and all the staff to develop positive cultures Head Teacher is a key role – sets the general ethos very important, without a positive culture morale and attitude is affected. can do culture extends down through school more consultation with staff, valuing individuals skills and strengths very, very important, schools need to be led from the front very important, everything the head teacher does impacts on school more time to do things well listen to staff fewer unprofessional criticisms and tittle tattling outside of work be open and honest removing remaining cliques

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-

Other comments

-

-

remember we are a democracy not a dictatorship, pretending to consult staff with a decision already made undermines staff morale more communication mix staff through the school time to adjust and put initiatives in place greater appreciation of the roles undertaken by different staff bringing KS1 and KS2 staffrooms together organisation improving all the time senior staff to work together as a group and not as individuals one of the initial things that parents look at or ‘feel’ I feel we are now a united school both as a staff, and with pupils interacting together more. This has been a positive change we’d like longer meetings

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