The Annual Conference of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration

The Annual Conference

of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society

‘Innovation in Educational Leadership and Management Practice and Research’

WokefieldPark Conference Centre, nr Reading

28th - 30th September 2007

I amdelighted to invite you tothe Annual Conference of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society, which will take place at Wokefield Park Conference Centre, nr Reading,28th-30th September 2007.

BELMAS Annual Conferences have a reputation for being informative, stimulating and convivial occasions which offer much to practitioners and academics alike. We extend a very warm invitation both to regular attenders and those who may be considering attendance for the first time.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Innovation in Educational Leadership and Management Practice and Research’As usual, we have a number of excellent keynote presenters:

Ellen Goldring is co-author of Magnet Schools in Urban Districts: What's Our Choice (Teacher College Press), with Claire Smrekar, that focuses on questions of equity and community in urban school districts with extensive magnet school plans, and Principals of Dynamic Schools (Corwin Press) with Sharon Rallis. Much of her other scholarly work is concerned with the changing role of school leaders as the organizational contexts for schools become more complex and varied. Her research examines how principals play a pivotal and changing role as schools become re-embedded in their larger community structures. She is currently involved in a number of projects which examine expertise in school leadership, new models for professional development for school leaders, and linking leading and learning.

David Watson is an historian and Professor of Higher Education Management at the Institute of Education, University of London. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton (formerly Brighton Polytechnic) between 1990 and 2005. His most recent books are Lifelong Learning and the University (1998), Managing Strategy (2000), New Directions in Professional Higher Education (2000), Higher Education and the Lifecourse (2003), and Managing Institutional Self-Study (2005).

Hilary Emeryis an Executive Director at the Teacher Development Agency. She began her career as a teacher, worked as an LEA adviser, for a training provider, and as chief adviser for Children’s Services at the DfES. Prior to joining the TDA she was the director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning.

The Conference Dinner will again be the opportunity to welcome members who have joined the Society during the year as BELMAS Fellows, award the BELMAS Thesis Prize and present the BELMAS Distinguished Service Award.

Full details of all the Conferencearrangements will be available on the Society website ( shortly. We hope very much you will be able to join us this year.

Megan Crawford

BELMAS Annual Conference Chair

for the Conference Committee