Culture Eats School Improvement for Breakfast: A Guide for School Leaders on How to Check and Change Culture

By Jon Morris

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”: this famous quote has become iconic for expressing the power of culture. Coined by management consultant Peter Drucker in 2006, while this expression may be an oversimplification of Drucker’s work, there can be little doubt that culture is crucial in helping schools succeed.

While culture has gained a lot of traction in educational literature, many merely discuss its importance, rather than the steps on how to assess, or create it. Worse, many seem confused on what culture is in relation to schools and can often use the term haphazardly.

This book therefore offers a practical guide, which demystifies school culture, with accessible references to academic research. It also offers illustrative examples from the domains of business, education, and history. Finally, it provides a practical and workable model, which can be employed by school leaders to check and change the culture of their school.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035825479

Book preview

Culture Eats School

Improvement for Breakfast

A Guide for School Leaders on

How to Check and Change Culture

JON MORRIS

Austin Macauley Publishers

Culture Eats School Improvement for Breakfast

About the Author

Dedication

Copyright Information ©

Section 1: Culture

chapter 1: wait... it's Not Actually Culture

Chapter 2: Uncovering the Iceberg

Chapter 3: Let’s Get the Ingredients

Section 2: Change

Chapter 4: Change the ‘Tribe’

Chapter 5: Problems in the ‘Office’

Chapter 6: ‘Driving’ Around Murphy’s Law

Section 3: The Toolkit

Chapter 7: So, What Is This ‘Cultural Web’?

Chapter 8: Ok… So How Do I Use It?

Chapter 9: A ‘Real World’ Example

Conclusion: Taming the Culture ‘Blob’

References

About the Author

Jon Morris has been working in secondary education for over fifteen years, with the last ten as a senior leader. During this time, he has helped three schools improve their Ofsted grading. Jon has experience of leading curriculum, teaching, assessment, and behaviour. He is dedicated to continued professional development and has a doctorate in education, which specialised in the organisational culture of schools and has published peer-reviewed academic papers. More latterly, he was a graduate of Ambition Institute’s Future Leaders Programme.

Jon can be reached via X (formerly Twitter): @Dr_JPMorris

Dedication

To Claire – patience is a virtue which, fortunately for me,

you have in spades.

Copyright Information ©

Jon Morris 2024

The right of Jon Morris to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The story, experiences, and words are the author’s alone.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035825462 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035825479 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

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Focus First on the People

‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’: this famous quote has become iconic for expressing the power of culture. Coined by management consultant Peter Drucker in 2006, it was made famous by Mark Fields, whom at the time was the President of Ford America. This expression has now become part of the educational zeitgeist.

While this phrase may be an over-simplification of Drucker’s work. Indeed, there is some debate as to whether he even said this exact expression. There can be little doubt that culture is crucial, in helping schools succeed. Yet, for me, this phrase also gives the impression that culture is an entity, which given the right circumstances can consume anything else.

Much like Steve McQueen running away from the gelatinous monster in the 1958 film ‘The Blob’, as it devours the hysterically screaming people in its path. It suggests that an effective culture will consume the people around it and make them part of the whole. While this metaphor may lack nuance, it does highlight the link between people, culture, and its importance for organisational success. Certainly, there can be little doubt Drucker’s phrase is useful. It implies rather than improving a business through strategy and development plans, the focus should first be on the people.

When applying this to schools, this power becomes magnified many times over. The ‘best’ schools are often held up as beacons for reducing inequality and smashing down social barriers for young people. It is therefore crucial that all those that work in schools invest time in considering their culture. Ensuring it has the maximum intended impact. This is even more important than teaching and learning.