This thesis is a case study of the impact of the restructuring movement on a small isolated high school in North Western New South Wales. The significant changes, centralisation of the curriculum, decentralisation of distance education, devolution of professional development and financial management and staffing policy changes, brought about by government policy since 1988 are described and analysed. The case study begins with an examination of restructuring at the system level in order to place restructuring at the local school level in a broader restructuring context. Elements of restructuring that provide particular foci are: the impact of restructuring upon the autonomy of the school in the areas of management, management processes, curriculum delivery and development and the achievement of the school's educational mission. The impact of restructuring is considered in relation to the school's educational practice and the role of conflict and conflict management is related to the changing perceptions of the educational stakeholders within the whole school community. In order to give the case study a unified focus the restructuring has been related to a theoretical framework derived from the research of Futrell (1989), Wirt (1991), Mitchell (1991) and Guthrie and Pierce ( 1990). This theoretical framework is inclusive of economic and political theories and explanations and an evolutionary action reaction cycle of waves of reform proposed by Futrell (1989). The study concludes that there have been some welcome and desirable changes at the school level as a result of restructuring, including devolution of the control of finance and staff development and the strategic planning requirement from which many unintended innovations have flowed. There have also been less welcome changes which have included the diffusion of the educational leadership role as a result of the transformation of the school principal into a middle manager, the initial abandonment of the centralised staffing system and continuing uncertainties of schemes to replace it and the progressive centralisation of the curriculum.