Introduction

In this chapter, I shift tack slightly first to consider some of the possibilities for schools and their communities. This is so that schools can be seen to provide more than what could be considered as just a technical offer or service analogous to that provided by the local branch of a national supermarket. This latter seems an especially suitable comparison in those large multi-academy trusts (MATs) that have no Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) and therefore little or no concept of or immediacy with their schools.

I have argued that this is not good enough in a democracy, but I will further argue that to change it Education needs to be returned to the public service. This does involve looking back first to enable looking forward in the final chapters of the book, but also to look at the possibilities within current structures. Local government, explored in the second half the chapter, provides the most fertile ground I argue, but changes of behaviour will also be required of central government officials in particular. Above all else, in addition to schools being involved with their communities, there needs to be some open public body that has a detailed overview of the communities they serve, with access to the immediacy needed to help them look to the future and develop. Central government has failed and continues to fail miserably on all these counts, without understanding it has done so.