Leadership, Bastard Leadership and Managerialism

This article examines the view of school leadership as presented in recent official government statements in England. It argues that this view is limited; in fact so limited as to be better described as ‘bastard leadership’. This notion is presented as a version of managerialism and the article shows how, since the late 1980s, government policies and legislation of both the Conservatives and New Labour have contributed to the spread of managerialist practices in the running of schools. It is argued that this threatens to undermine New Labour’s stated education policy aims of creating a ‘healthy and just democracy and a productive economy’. The article concludes by raising important questions for the research agenda of the newly established National College for School Leadership.