Andrew Pennington

Research

Title: 'Can MATs be democratic? an enquiry into the possibilities for community involvement and democratic accountability in the governance and leadership of multi-academy trusts.'

The aim of this research is to:
• Examine how the governance arrangements of a MAT can develop and promote collaboration between the member schools, partners and the wider community;
• Explore how system leadership might be developed and deployed across a MAT; and
• Explore if and how community engagement and democratic accountability might be designed into the governance of a MAT.
The research will take the form of an extended case study of MATs, to illuminate and examine the issues of democracy, accountability and collaboration in governing a local school system. The research will focus on questions to illuminate and analyse schools’ place in their communities. For instance: what are the links between schools and their communities? how are communities defined and experienced by schools? what services and benefits do schools provide? and what services do schools need?

Supervisors: Julian Stern and Tony Leach 

Research interests: Leadership and governance in schools and school systems, democracy, participation, and community involvement.

Conferences and Publications

Pennington. A, Feng. S & Wood. M (2018) 'Pre-figurative practice and the educational leadership of Sir Alec Clegg in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England (1945-1974)