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Kathryn Riley...presents us with a wide variety of ways in which place is experienced by young people and school leaders - all of which emerge from her decade of work with urban principals and students. The different experiences and definitions of place emerge in an evocative and powerful way in the stories that she tells throughout the book. From the foreword by Karen Seashore Louis, Regents Professor and Robert H. Beck Chair, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, USA In opening the door to a richly constructed intellectual space Kathryn Riley invites us to adventure beyond many of our own preconceptions to reach beneath the surface life of school communities, beyond the parameters of the school's containing walls and within the beliefs that are such powerful forces for maintaining 'the way we do things round here' or, alternatively seeing the unseen - what the Jewish theologian Abraham Heschel describes as 'insight' - the beginning of perceptions to come rather than the extension of perceptions gone by. 'From the foreword by John MacBeath, Emeritus Professor, University of Cambridge, UK This is a fascinating 'never stop reading me' book on school leadership by Kathryn Riley. It clearly outlines the importance of context in providing leadership. The global and local factors play a very significant role in shaping how schools are perceived by the young learners and the layered school leadership. Riley displays the interplay between the educational, economic, social, political and cultural factors associated with the school, requiring leadership that not only concentrates on the classroom but which also links it to the external context. The intelligence quotient of the learners and the teachers has to be balanced with the emotional and social intelligence required to manage the place. This is a must read for all who love education. Mvuyo Tom, Vice-Chancellor, University of Fort Hare, South Africa Of all the educational books I have read over recent years, this has had the most impact on the way I think about our urban schools. It draws upon the experiences of schools in three different countries and makes us question who we are, what we are doing in our schools and why we are doing it. In a time of great educational upheaval in our country, Professor Riley has written a book which will be of immense use to any headteachers who might be despairing about the way forward. Prue Barnes, Headteacher, Newport School and Leyton Children's Centre Cluster, London, UK
