The Crisis in Local Authorities

In this chapter I review the data from governor minutes and interviews relating to the lived experiences of governing boards of their relationships with LAs. I begin by explaining the context within which LAs operate, both the statutory expectations placed on them and the significant financial cuts imposed in recent years during a time of austerity. I describe the impact of such cuts on schools, namely a reduction of services and this encourages schools to look to MATs for support. There is also some evidence that the relationship between governing boards and LA has become one framed as service provider, i.e. governors judge the relationship on how good a service they are offered from the LA, rather than seeing the LA as a civic cornerstone. Part of this insistence on the focus on LAs being a service provider appears to come from the performative pressures governing boards are under for their schools to be seen as effective.