Influence and change in the Primary School

Efforts to impose improvements on education by prescribing what must be done make it increasingly difficult for teachers to enjoy their work. This paper makes a case for the need to relax the pressure under which teachers work and suggests that this may be achieved by increasing opportunities for conversation at all levels of education. Conversation contributes to a sense of community which can make teaching more enjoyable. It can also help to develop a confident voice with which teachers can engage their managers in conversation, suggesting ways in which policy might be developed and improved.