Flexible Structures and Secondary Schools

Secondary schools should be structured like "tents " with the flexibility to meet new challenges. The ideas here offer an alternative to the current matrix of academic and pastoral functions. The structure of secondary schools is easy to characterise: they have developed matrix arrangements which are dominated by the overlay of curricular and pastoral dimensions, including also some elements of a coordination function (Knight 1977). Usually the coordination function is part of the curricular dimension as when staff, although remaining members of their original faculty or department, become involved in cross-boundary collaboration. A common example is when a school with, say, physics, chemistry and biology departments introduces a science course for less able pupils; because contributions are demanded from teachers in three departments the coordination of syllabus, staffing, equipment, rooms etc. has to be organised. Often this role is handed to someone other than a departmental head. A number of reasons may be cited (not least, the intention of spreading responsibilities when promotion opportunities are restricted), but among these reasons the need to avoid overloading one of the departmental heads is much less prominent than the