Two exuberant 10-year-olds lead the way up several flights of stairs to their head teacher’s office. They are among more than 450 pupils at Surrey Square primary school, on the edge of the vast Aylesbury housing estate in south London. Nicola Noble, their head teacher, is unusual among her professional peers in that she holds this senior, demanding post on a part-time basis, and encourages staff to do the same if they want to. The result, she says, as she sits in her office decorated with inspirational quotes, story books, trophies and a large wooden giraffe, is “high outcomes for children, and a very stable [workforce]”.
Her school is rated outstanding by Ofsted, the UK school’s inspectorate........

Questions 1. What is meant by the term ‘flexible working arrangements’?
2. What rights do employees have to request flexible working arrangements?
3. Why is there scepticism among managers about employees working in a flexible way and how might managers be persuaded that flexible working arrangements are good for the organisation?
4. How might the job and industry affect the options regarding flexible working arrangements?