Positioning Alternative in the Neoliberalism Landscape of Education: An Extended Model of School Group Features

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Abstract

Relationships between schools internationally are shifting; new structures and groups are being reconfigured in response to national government policies, creating a democratic deficit. This case study research explores the Co-operative Academy Trust (CAT) grouping of schools positioning as an alternative to autonomous schools’ policies. This research incorporated interviews with key policy actors and stakeholders and utilised a model of group parameters, presented as continua, to position the case study as an alternative, and to categorise the school group’s unique characteristics. The findings show that CAT is alternative in key aspects. Furthermore, the existing model of Group Parameters was extended, applying the findings from this study, generating a more useful categorisation and a tool for identification of school groupings as alternative.

Authors

• Janet E Hetherington, Staffordshire University

• Gillian Forrester, Staffordshire University