How do multi-academy trusts create a shared culture?
Our 112th interview is with, Toby Greany, Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham, a seasoned researcher in school improvement.
In this podcast, listen to Toby and Teacher Toolkit founder, Ross McGill discuss:
- Why and how Toby got into school improvement
- Talking about teaching English in Brazil and China for over 4 years
- How Toby ran a large-scale action research program on learning to learn in schools
- The study Toby is most proud of called Hierarchy, Markets and Networks with Rob Higham
- Studies that tackle academisation
- Successes and pitfalls of academisation
- Links between vision, values, and school improvement
- The challenge of school improvements in large Multi-Academy Trusts
- The similarities between corporate mergers and new schools joining a trust
- and the costs of the ‘middle tier and MATs providing a support structure doing the lockdown.
Listen to the podcast (38 minutes)
Remember, the podcast is available on iTunes!
The impact of multi-academy trusts have no discernable difference on school standards; although small MATs do have a positive impact (2018).
This study of the ‘self-improving system’ best captures Toby’s main interests in system governance and how leaders respond, plus this open-access article builds on that to focus on the changing role of Local Authorities.
