Main Topics:

Variables Headteachers of selected schools were asked for information in three general categories: 1. School: Name of LEA; type of school (infant, infant/junior, junior, secondary modern, etc.); school address; whether school is county, voluntary controlled, voluntary aided, special agreement, or other; number of pupils on roll; whether most classes are co-educational; whether any children are boarders; by how many teachers school is below establishment; number of expected teaching vacancies by year's end; number of teaching hours Head carries out; existence of Deputy Head and number of teaching hours he/she carries out; date of school building construction; existence of separate Head's, Deputy Head's and staff rooms; number of children affected by over-crowding in schoolroom; location of school playing fields, if any; whether school has PTA or other organised parents group; visual aids available for use in school; whether school has special classes for backward children or an organised unit for ascertained ESN children; whether school suspends or alters normal time-table for internal examinations; proportion of fathers of children who are employed in non-manual occupations and proportion of children from `difficult' neighbourhoods. Secondary school Head teachers are asked, further, whether school possesses separate and purpose-built rooms for specialist classes such as science laboratories and gymnasiums, whether teaching groups exist as form classes, subject sets, house or tutor groupings or other groupings, what types of examinations are taken by children in schools (vocational guidance, CSE, GCE etc.). Primary school Heads are asked whether most teaching classes in school comprise children in one, two, three, four, or five age groups, whether nature of age-grouping is result of deliberate policy or forced on headteacher by school conditions, whether children are grouped according to ability and whether children in school take any standardised 11+ selection tests. 2. Staff: Concerning the headteacher: age; sex; qualifications; teaching experience; number of years as Head at present school or in previous schools; and likelihood of continuation in present position. Concerning the school as a whole: approximate composition of staff by age and sex; number of probationary teachers on staff at present; number of unqualified teachers; number of teaching units per week carried out by part-time staff; proportion of long-term staff (over 5 years at present school). 3. Appointment and Placement of Probationary Teachers: latest date by which names of new probationers for September appointment known by Head; whether probationers apply directly to school or to LEA; whether candidates are interviewed by Head and successful candidate meets any member of staff before beginning of September term and, if so, which member or members; date by which new probationers would be notified of age and ability groups they are expected to teach and would be sent the syllabus or scheme of work they would be expected to teach from; Head's attitude toward supervision of probationer's work and amount of control they exercise; intervals at which probationer submits reports to Head; whether report is received from training institutions on each probationer and the relative importance attached to various kinds of information in such reports; number of students carrying out full-time teaching practice at school during previous year, and where responsibility for welfare of probationers lies besides with Head. A series of questions at the end of the survey attempt to establish the Head's opinion as to most prevalent problems probationers face in terms of teaching, school community life and personal life. A final question asks for means Head uses to advise and assess probationary teachers during first teaching term.

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

two-stage within A) 162 Local Education Authorities B) 8 school types (infant; infant/junior, junio

Postal survey