Field and Terrain: The Micropolitics of Community Leadership in Small, Rural Schools in England

Abstract

The authors of this chapter discuss the role and centrality of the school in two contrasting rural villages in England. They first analyse the school’s social history, then evaluate its sustainability relative to other village-based service provisions, and finally focus on the role of the head teacher. The authors base their discussion heavily on the results of an RCUK-funded project conducted in two English villages. Differences emerge between the cultural heritages and individual leadership styles in both localities. They argue that the rural head teacher’s relative autonomy as a key actor in a small rural community has shifted, as has the relationship between school and village in terms of social cohesion, and that the backdrop of the locality’s cultural heritage is critical. They conclude that small rural schools are shaped by their local contexts and social histories, but that their head teachers continue to enjoy a degree of relative autonomy.