David Galloway – författare

First published in 1985. This book examines in-depth the administrative, curricular, attitudinal and pastoral care changes that are needed if teachers in ordinary schools are to meet their pupils’ special needs successfully. Drawing on extensive research the author shows that the needs of a minority of ‘special’ pupils cannot sensibly be seen in insolation from those of the other pupils in the school. Schools that cater successfully for the majority of their pupils with special needs. Conversely, the curriculum and organisational problems in some schools create tensions which are reflected in the pupils’ poor behaviour and performance. These are taken as evidence that the pupils have special needs.

First published in 1985. This book examines in-depth the administrative, curricular, attitudinal and pastoral care changes that are needed if teachers in ordinary schools are to meet their pupils’ special needs successfully. Drawing on extensive research the author shows that the needs of a minority of ‘special’ pupils cannot sensibly be seen in insolation from those of the other pupils in the school. Schools that cater successfully for the majority of their pupils with special needs. Conversely, the curriculum and organisational problems in some schools create tensions which are reflected in the pupils’ poor behaviour and performance. These are taken as evidence that the pupils have special needs.

Why do programmes of continuing professional development and Learning (CPDL) for teachers so frequently fail to deliver sustained improvement in children’s social behaviour and academic performance? How can schools that prioritise the most disadvantaged children in one of the world’s poorest countries consistently achieve among the best academic results in the country? How can teachers in these schools, most of whom have received little or no formal training, provide CPDL that leads to improvement in other schools?

These questions are as relevant in high income countries as in Sierra Leone, where the research for this book was carried out. Lessons in School Improvement from Sub-Saharan Africa addresses them head-on by describing the planning, delivery and evaluation of a school improvement programme in which development of professional learning networks (PLNs) was a key component. The evaluation showed that children whose teachers had taken part in the programme made significantly more progress in attendance, literacy and behaviour than children in control schools. 

The book’s professional relevance is strengthened by an accompanying Practitioners’ Manual with full details of the CPDL. This enables replication of the results and provides a guide for future school improvement programmes and PLNs, both in low and high income countries.

Why do programmes of continuing professional development and Learning (CPDL) for teachers so frequently fail to deliver sustained improvement in children’s social behaviour and academic performance? How can schools that prioritise the most disadvantaged children in one of the world’s poorest countries consistently achieve among the best academic results in the country? How can teachers in these schools, most of whom have received little or no formal training, provide CPDL that leads to improvement in other schools?

These questions are as relevant in high income countries as in Sierra Leone, where the research for this book was carried out. Lessons in School Improvement from Sub-Saharan Africa addresses them head-on by describing the planning, delivery and evaluation of a school improvement programme in which development of professional learning networks (PLNs) was a key component. The evaluation showed that children whose teachers had taken part in the programme made significantly more progress in attendance, literacy and behaviour than children in control schools. 

The book’s professional relevance is strengthened by an accompanying Practitioners’ Manual with full details of the CPDL. This enables replication of the results and provides a guide for future school improvement programmes and PLNs, both in low and high income countries.

Behind the headlines and controversy surrounding new academy schools, many of their principals, teachers and pupils have been quietly changing the culture of learning and achievement in some of the most disadvantaged communities in England. While successful innovation and change is not unique to academies, this book illustrates how the academy policy represents a significant opportunity to improve the life chances of their pupils. Too much attention has focused on unanswerable questions about whether academies are better or worse than their predecessor or comparable schools in their neighbourhood. Too little focus has been on what policy makers and practitioners can learn from the different, and often conflicting, perspectives of the key players, notably sponsors, architects, principals, parents and pupils in order to create a school that can truly serve their community with distinction.

Behind the headlines and controversy surrounding new academy schools, many of their principals, teachers and pupils have been quietly changing the culture of learning and achievement in some of the most disadvantaged communities in England. While successful innovation and change is not unique to academies, this book illustrates how the academy policy represents a significant opportunity to improve the life chances of their pupils. Too much attention has focused on unanswerable questions about whether academies are better or worse than their predecessor or comparable schools in their neighbourhood. Too little focus has been on what policy makers and practitioners can learn from the different, and often conflicting, perspectives of the key players, notably sponsors, architects, principals, parents and pupils in order to create a school that can truly serve their community with distinction.