Much of the above mirrors the work of Glover et al. (1998) who found that in four of the seven schools in their study of middle management roles and responsibilities, a representative sample of middle management met regularly with, or as part of, senior management planning groups and this was seen as an important involvement in policy making. Leithwood (1992) has also demonstrated the continuum of progression from teaching competence to departmental management and from there to participation in whole-school decision making, and the changing needs of what he calls age and stage". All of the type A school management in our sample were aware of these needs and had defined head of department professional development responsibilities with planned expenditure to support them. There was a realisation, however, that such commitments could not be open-ended. They well understood that schools that wish to evolve constantly have to do so from where they are and with the resources, financial and human, that they have available.