Since 1990, headteachers and school governors in England and Wales have had extensive powers to manage school budgetsand are responsible for all of a school's resource needs including staff. As the school budget is dependent on pupil numbers and parents now have more choice over which school their children will attend, local management has had profound effects on how schools are managed and resourced. The book presents original empirical research on local management and concludes that while schools are now able to use resources more efficiently there is little evidence to support the government's claim that local management plays a key role in raising standards of teaching and learning.