Scalecraft, scalecreep and scalecrunch: school autonomy as scalar politics

Glenn C. Savage; Jacob Broom; Jessica Gerrard

doi:10.1080/02680939.2026.2626715

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Scalecraft, scalecreep and scalecrunch: school autonomy as scalar politics

Journal article

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Scalecraft, scalecreep and scalecrunch: school autonomy as scalar politics

Glenn C. Savage, Jacob Broom and Jessica Gerrard

Journal of Education Policy, Vol.41(5), pp.730-750

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2026.2626715

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Abstract

School autonomy

scalar politics

policy design

governance

Independent Public Schools

This paper deploys the concept of scalecraft in concert with two new concepts (scalecreep and scalecrunch) to explore how scale functions as a strategic tool in policy design and governance. Taking the Independent Public Schools (IPS) initiative in the Australian state of Western Australia (WA) as a case study, we analyse how school autonomy reforms reshape governance structures and power relations in public schooling. Established in 2009, the IPS introduced a suite of policy changes designed to increase flexibility and align school governance with local needs, mirroring global trends seeking to devolve governance from centralised bureaucracies to local schools in publicly funded systems of education. Drawing on interviews with senior WA policymakers, we examine the scalar politics and processes of this reform, tracing how the IPS has redistributed power and resources between local schools, mid-level bureaucracies, and the central education department.

Details

Title: Scalecraft, scalecreep and scalecrunch: school autonomy as scalar politics
Authors/Creators: Glenn C. Savage - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Jacob Broom - Murdoch University, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Jessica Gerrard
Publication Details: Journal of Education Policy, Vol.41(5), pp.730-750
Publisher: Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Number of pages: 21
Identifiers: 991005862492907891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; Indo-Pacific Research Centre
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 6 Social Sciences; 6.11 Education & Educational Research; 6.11.345 Educational Reform
Web Of Science research areas: Education & Educational Research
ESI research areas: Social Sciences, general