Development Planning in Primary Schools

Abstract

Development planning has been advocated as a means of managing the innovations which primary schools have faced in recent years. Interviews with a range of heads, staff and governors in 18 primary schools revealed development planning was valued for its contribution to management and a shared culture despite the difficulties schools have experienced with limited resources and new initiatives. Consultation of teaching staff in the process of designing the development plan was well established but involvement of the governors and ancillary staff was not. Systematic ways of recognizing the achievement of SDP targets and the relationship between development planning and improvements in pupil learning and classroom practice were also not well established.