The micro-politics of policy enactment in a multi-academy trust

This article reports on research for The Literacy Policy project. The focus is the micro-politics of policy enactment, sited in the literacy policy of a multi-academy trust (MAT). A semi-structured interview was conducted with the CEO of a MAT to ascertain what literacy policy means to them. The contribution is to add to existing literature on the practice of MAT CEOs, using theories of micro-politics and the thinking tools of Bourdieu. Findings suggest that MAT CEOs may enact policies and structure their organisation in a way that reduces the opportunity for, but also monitors and utilises, micro-political activity by teachers and headteachers. This is driven by the pressures on MATs to expand in a highly performative environment and deliver curricular in a cost-effective way. This is important because it suggests that the UK government’s academies policy for schools in England does not necessarily deliver the promised levels of autonomy; and may lead to homogenised curricular for schools in disadvantaged areas where greater criticality is required.