Accountability of Educational Networks: Problems and Opportunities

• In Event: Accountability of Educational Networks: New Avenues to Improve Public Education

Abstract

This study aimed to understand how the external accountability of both individual academies and the Trust impacted on these four mechanisms of internal quality control of Multi-Academy Trusts. We conducted a case study of a nationally operating MAT with a head office in the South-West of England. Our findings indicate that single school accountability dominated the external accountability of our Multi-Academy Trust and led to the development of internal quality control mechanisms which favored support of underperforming schools, and target setting around individual school performance. Our study enhances our understanding of how network governance requires a shift from individual school accountability to accountability of the network as a whole to ensure effective collaboration between schools in the network, facilitate the development of network-internal mechanisms for quality control which support the integration of the network and inform collective action. Our findings provide important insights into how multiple layers of external accountability can create conflicting demands around school improvement, and can prevent educational networks to develop collective actions towards a joint set of outcomes.

Authors

• Melanie Ehren, University College London

• David Godfrey, Ringwood Secondary College