Report on a visit to Gateway Sixth Form College, Leicester, United Kingdom

Abstract

As part of the Diploma in Educational Administration and Management run by the University of Malta, a number of participants went on a fifteen day attachment visit to various primary, secondary and post-secondary schools in England and other European counties. There we were able to observe the school's administration and staff at work. I made arrangements and was assigned to Gateway Sixth Form College at Leicester in the United Kingdom, where I was able to spend fifteen fruitful days familiarising myself with the administrative, teaching and ancillary staff as well as students. I was able to observe the school organisation, the curriculum, teaching methods and all the various opportunities made available by the school. In this report I will be trying to give an account of the experience gained through my observations, interviews and conversations with senior management, governors, staff and students and my attendance at staff and other meetings. I will then pass on few observations about what I found most relevant, what impressed me and what I believe is relevant to the local situation. The influence on this report of my subject specialisation, namely Economics, cannot be denied. Besides other literature, mainly two books significantly inspired my writings. In the book "Taken for Granted? Looking at Schools as Organisations"(1984), Charles Handy suggests innovative and efficient ways of managing schools including post secondary institutions. Since I consider this book to lack details about the managing of the curriculum, David Pratt' s handbook about "Curriculum Planning: A Handbook for Professionals"(1994), sheds light on what I believe to be the crucial role of the Head Teacher, that of a Professional Leader.