Umbrellas, funnels and fans: A narrative inquiry into the lived experience of subject middle leaders in English secondary schools

DOMINIC BURRELL, EdD, CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY, UK Subject middle leadership is described in academic research as a powerful engine for creating and sustaining change within English secondary schools (Ainsworth et al., 2024). Journals of education management support the importance of these roles, often aiming to quantify their potential impact. My doctoral thesis aimed to refocus the lens onto those holding these roles, using a narrative inquiry methodology to explore the lived experience of middle leaders (henceforth MLs). This was inspired by my own middle leadership experience, a sense-making exploration to help me to contextualise and understand my experiences with comparison to other MLs. A 2023 Teacher Tapp survey demonstrated the necessity of this research: MLs were shown to have the lowest attachment to the profession of any hierarchical sub-group. Hearing and analysing MLs’ stories – representing their experiences – therefore bears significant importance in