New Zealand is one of the few countries which have made the individual school the major locus of educational administration. This paper looks at some of the findings of a four-year NZCER qualitative study of ten 'ordinary' primary schools which have gained a reputation for the improvements they have made in recent years. Wylie and Mitchell try to show school development as a journey rather than a checklist of factors.

Paper presented at the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Sydney, 5-8 January 2003.