Originally published in 1991. This book examines the early experiences of the first grant-maintained Schools and considers the challenges facing the self-managing school in the 1990s. The book looks at the context of the change of status, what it means to be grant-maintained, and reviews the types of schools that have opted out so far and their reasons for doing so. A section of specially commissioned case studies written by headteachers offers accounts of how each school has coped with the move to grant-maintained status. The book provides a practical and realistic appraisal of grant-maintained schools and their move towards self-management, exploring both the advantages and the disadvantages of opting out of local authority control.

Preface Part 1 1. The Context and the Rationale for Grant-Maintained Status 2. How Schools Achieve Grant-Maintained Status Part 2 3. A Case Study of Opting Out: Small Heath School Cecil Knight 4. Managing a School and Developing a Grant-Maintained Ethos Roger Perks 5. Managing Finance in a Grant-Maintained School Keith Barker 6. Managing Capital Development: Contracts and Premises Brother Francis 7. Managing The School: The Role of Governors and Staff Management Structures Ray Page 8. Managing Staff Development in a Grant-Maintained School Jennifer Morris Part 3 9. The Advantages of Grant-Maintained Status 10. The Disadvantages of Grant-Maintained Status 11. Managing Grant-Maintained Schools in the 1990s Part 4: Appendices A. A Review of Opting Out to Date - Number of Schools, B. A Review of Opting Out to Date - Analysis of Schools, C. Grant-Maintained Schools Quality Assurance: A Voluntary Code of Practice, D. The Experience of Going Grant-Maintained: The Perceptions of AMMA Teacher Representatives