Middle Leading in Education

There is wide acceptance that leadership is important in schools and makes an impact of the quality of education provided. But, when talking about leadership most people really mean ‘principalship’ and they refer to the principal or positional head, and research has shown that the impact of principals is limited and restricted (Lingard, Hayes, Mills & Christie, 2003). However, ‘middle leaders’ – teachers who have a leadership role and who also have a substantial classroom teaching role (e.g., Head of Department, or team or curriculum development leader), are more influential in professional and curriculum development. Middle leaders are still engaged in classroom practice and their leading is exercised in and around classrooms, so they are better positioned to provide pedagogical leadership and the leadership required for professional and curriculum development.

We contend that middle leaders are crucial for effective learning and teaching in schools, and in promoting and sustaining quality education. We also believe that their practices and work in educational leading is not well understood or appreciated – they are not ‘principals-in-waiting’ or just ‘good teachers’. In our work, including this blog, we will explore, examine and discuss the practice of ‘leading from the middle’, and through our weekly posts we hope to promote, and provide insights into, the valuable educational work of middle leaders.

Lingard, B., Hayes, D., Mills, M., & Chrisite, P. (2003). Leading learning: Making hope practical in schools. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.