The First Year of Beacon School Status: Maintaining excellence and sharing success |
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| Abstract: | During the summer of 1998, 74 primary, secondary, nursery and special schools were identified by the Department for Education and Employment for their educational expertise in the areas of management or curriculum with the strategic aim that these institutions were to be 'held up as beacons of excellence' for other schools to emulate. It has been suggested that such schools will find themselves under pressure to maintain their perceived levels of educational excellence whilst, at the same time, attempting to assist others in their development (Ghouri, 1999). All 74 'Beacon Schools' were requested to complete a short, focused questionnaire and, based on analysis of this survey, this paper addresses the management implications of balancing the existing core function of educating pupils whilst developing support and training facilities for other educational professionals. Findings indicate that effective communication, both internally and externally, coupled with a clear sense of purpose and vision, have enabled Beacon Schools to fulfil both roles. |
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