From fragmentation to multiplexity: Decentralisation, localism and support for school collaboration in England and Wales

Abstract

Decentralisation and localism have become increasingly common drivers and outcomes of policy changes in many education systems in recent years, often supported by an emphasis on collaboration. This paper uses research into three collaborative initiatives in England and Wales to explore these changes. Informed by insights from network theory, it reveals a number of issues and tensions relating to decentralisation and localism and ends with a call to move away from a deficit perspective in order to use the multiplexity of current systems as a starting point for future developments in policy and research.