I am pleased to share that I have completed my MA in Educational Leadership at the University of Buckingham with an overall distinction.
I am also making my full dissertation available so that colleagues across education can read the research and consider what it might mean in their own schools and trusts.
The dissertation explores a question that has shaped much of my work with schools: what helps an income-generation idea move from a good intention to practical action? Funding opportunities matter, but so do time, expertise, leadership and the culture surrounding new ideas.
I am keen to share my research and what I have learnt from interviews with senior leaders and the survey information gathered from schools and trusts. You can request a copy of the complete 73-page dissertation through the dissertation request page.
In brief
- The full dissertation is available to school leaders and colleagues who would like to read the research in detail.
- The study draws on responses from 523 schools and over 28,000 pupils. The ten one to one leader interviews represented an additional 13,000 pupils from a cross section of phases from primary to secondary and SEN.
- Its four recommendations cover outward-facing culture, practical capacity, leadership development and stronger sector support.
Research grounded in school realities
My dissertation, “The extent to which organisational culture impacts school income generation”, considers leadership, organisational culture and the practical circumstances surrounding income-generation activity. It brings together participants’ reported experiences with my analysis of the conditions that help or hinder action.
This is exploratory research based on 56 survey responses and ten interviews. It is not a nationally representative study or a formula for increasing income. Schools and trusts work with different resources, relationships and priorities, so the findings are best used to prompt questions and inform decisions in context.
Capacity matters when ideas become action
A recurring message in the findings is that good ideas need enough capacity behind them. Competing priorities, limited time and gaps in expertise can all make it difficult for a school to move an opportunity forward, even when colleagues recognise its value.
Before choosing an initiative, it helps to ask a few practical questions. Who will lead it? What time will they have? What knowledge or support will they need? How will the school decide whether the work is worth continuing?
Starting with one manageable initiative can make those questions easier to answer. The aim is to connect the school’s ambition with a realistic plan for delivery, rather than add another worthwhile idea to an already crowded list.
Leadership and culture need practical support
The research also presents a nuanced picture of culture. Interview participants described ways in which leaders can create space for ideas, while the survey responses were more mixed about culture’s influence.
One interview account described changing the structure of meetings so that staff had more room to contribute. It does not demonstrate a measured financial gain, but it offers a practical example of how leadership can make it easier for people to bring forward ideas.
My interpretation is that culture and capacity need to be considered together. Encouragement matters, but people also need ownership, time and the right support if an idea is going to progress.
Four recommendations for schools and the wider sector
- Develop an outward-facing culture. Heads, principals, CEOs and governing bodies can consider how their setting welcomes ideas and builds relationships beyond the school. The research showed that schools that adopted a risk taking, entrepreneurial perspective generated more income.
- Make capacity part of the plan. Leadership teams and MAT central teams can examine the time, expertise and support available for income-generation activity. The research data and feedback from school leaders clearly showed that organisations that built capacity for enterprising activities and income generation strategies were rewarded with beneficial partnerships and increased revenue.
- Connect leadership development with practical skills. Professional bodies and development providers can explore partnership working, commercial awareness and ethical judgement alongside existing provision.
- Strengthen practical support and shared learning. Government, local authorities and sector organisations can consider how useful examples and guidance are shared across different school contexts.
These recommendations come from the research rather than from interventions tested by the study. I will explore each of them in more detail over the coming months, beginning with the practical capacity questions that schools can address directly.
Read the full dissertation
I am making the complete dissertation available as the original 73-page PDF. Enter your name and email address on the dissertation request page and a copy will be sent to you.
I hope the research prompts useful conversations between school leaders, business professionals and colleagues across the sector. As you read, consider which finding most closely reflects your setting and what one realistic next step could be.
You can also explore the existing resources for schools and information about income-generation support if you are considering how to develop this work in your own setting.