Success Against The Odds

BOOK COVER......Page 1
HALF-TITLE......Page 2
TITLE......Page 4
COPYRIGHT......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 6
CONTRIBUTORS......Page 8
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 13
SCHOOLS IN DISADVANTAGED AREAS......Page 15
EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE......Page 16
POLICY DEVELOPMENTS......Page 18
MEASURING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE......Page 19
THE SUCCESS AGAINST THE ODDS PROJECT......Page 20
REFERENCES......Page 22
1  FAIR FURLONG PRIMARY SCHOOL......Page 24
THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY......Page 25
WHAT IS THE SCHOOL LIKE?......Page 28
THE SCHOOL AS A WORKPLACE......Page 29
WHAT IS BEING ACHIEVED?......Page 30
HAS THE SCHOOL ALWAYS BEEN SUCCESSFUL?......Page 31
The behaviour policy......Page 32
The display policy......Page 34
The leadership provided by the headteacher......Page 35
Staffing issues......Page 37
Teaching and learning......Page 39
The school’s relationship with governors, parents and the wider community......Page 40
CONCLUSION......Page 41
2  CROWCROFT PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL......Page 44
ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY......Page 45
CHALLENGES......Page 46
ACHIEVEMENT......Page 47
SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE SCHOOL......Page 49
SCHOOL POLICY......Page 52
HOW IMPROVEMENT HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER TIME......Page 55
ACCOUNTABILITY......Page 58
CONCLUSION......Page 59
A PARTNERSHIP FOR CHANGE......Page 62
THE SCHOOL......Page 63
SHARING THE VISION......Page 64
STAFF INVOLVEMENT: DEVELOPING A COMMON PHILOSOPHY......Page 66
CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT: MAXIMISING POTENTIAL......Page 69
RAISING THE CHILDREN’S EXPECTATIONS......Page 72
AN ‘OPEN DOOR’ POLICY: THE INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY......Page 73
THE NEXT STAGE......Page 74
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE......Page 75
4  COLUMBIA PRIMARY SCHOOL......Page 77
THE CHILDREN......Page 79
SUCCEEDING AGAINST THE ODDS?......Page 81
LEADERSHIP AND ETHOS......Page 82
STAFF TEAMWORK......Page 84
BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINE......Page 85
The ‘political’ climate......Page 87
Minorities within the school......Page 88
The nature of ‘good’ teaching......Page 89
5  LOCHGELLY NORTH SPECIAL SCHOOL......Page 92
A CASE STUDY......Page 93
THE CONTEXT......Page 94
THE ALTERNATIVES......Page 95
THE SCHOOL......Page 96
STRONG, POSITIVE LEADERSHIP OF THE HEADTEACHER AND SENIOR STAFF......Page 97
A GOOD ATMOSPHERE OR SPIRIT—SHARED AIMS AND VALUES AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT......Page 98
HIGH AND CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS OF ALL PUPILS......Page 99
A CLEAR AND CONTINUING FOCUS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING......Page 100
WELL-DEVELOPED PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSING HOW CHILDREN ARE PROGRESSING......Page 102
RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING SHARED BY PUPILS THEMSELVES......Page 103
PARTICIPATION BY PUPILS IN THE LIFE OF THE SCHOOL......Page 104
REWARDS AND INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE PUPILS TO SUCCEED......Page 106
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AND SUPPORTING THE AIMS OF THE SCHOOL......Page 107
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES......Page 109
A PLANNED APPROACH......Page 110
ADDING VALUE—SUCCESS AGAINST THE ODDS......Page 111
MARK......Page 112
A SPECIAL CASE?......Page 114
WHAT INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED?......Page 116
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL......Page 117
CATCHMENT AND COMMUNITY......Page 118
THE STUDENTS......Page 119
THE SCHOOL TODAY......Page 120
STUDENT OUTCOMES......Page 121
ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS......Page 122
THE NATIONAL COMMISSION’S FACTORS OF SUCCESS......Page 123
THE SEARCH FOR AN EXPLANATION......Page 124
Focus on learning and achievement......Page 125
High expectations......Page 126
Focus on quality......Page 127
Leadership......Page 128
Management......Page 129
Parental and community Involvement......Page 130
Grant-maintained status......Page 131
The sixth form......Page 132
CONCLUSION......Page 133
7  HAYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL......Page 136
THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE SCHOOL......Page 138
A good atmosphere generated by shared aims and values and an attractive physical environment......Page 139
High and consistent expectations of all pupils......Page 140
Participation by pupils in the life of the school......Page 141
Parental involvement in children’s education and in supporting the aims of the school......Page 142
Extra-curricular activities which broaden pupils’ interests......Page 143
Other factors......Page 144
The approach to teaching, learning and the curriculum......Page 145
The school’s policies on attendance, behaviour and bullying......Page 146
The school’s participation in the Two Towns Project......Page 147
ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SCHOOL......Page 148
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT......Page 149
INTRODUCTION—THE NORTHERN IRELAND CONTEXT......Page 153
HAZELWOOD INTEGRATED COLLEGE......Page 154
HAZELWOOD IN ITS EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT......Page 155
INSPECTION REPORTS......Page 158
METHODOLOGY AND EVIDENCE......Page 160
THE ETHOS OF HAZELWOOD COLLEGE......Page 161
STAFF-PUPIL RELATIONSHIPS......Page 163
THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ACHIEVEMENT......Page 164
MONITORING WITHIN THE SCHOOL......Page 166
THE ATTITUDE TO RITUAL......Page 168
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS......Page 169
EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS......Page 170
THE NATIONAL COMMISSION CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS......Page 171
CATHOLIC VALUES AND THE COMMON GOOD......Page 174
THE SCHOOL IN ITS LOCAL CONTEXT......Page 181
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SCHOOL—REPORT ONE......Page 184
SUMMARY OF FACTORS RELATED TO THE SCHOOL......Page 185
Community support network (factor 1)......Page 186
St Michael’s as a caring and ordered community (factor 2)......Page 187
Headteacher leadership and management style (factor 4)......Page 189
Teaching and learning environment (factor 5)......Page 192
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY—REPORT TWO......Page 193
Parental involvement in children’s education and in supporting the aims of the school (factor 2)......Page 194
Extra-curricular activities (factor 3)......Page 195
PERSPECTIVES FROM LOCAL EMPLOYERS AND FORMER PUPILS—REPORT THREE......Page 196
High level of expectation and generation of pupil confidence (factor 4)......Page 197
ST MICHAEL’S SCHOOL: AN OVERVIEW OF EFFECTIVENESS......Page 198
A SCHOOL IN THE MARKET PLACE......Page 200
THE EARLY HISTORY......Page 201
VALUES, AIMS AND FOCUS......Page 204
WHAT DO THE AIMS LOOK LIKE NOW?......Page 205
THE FOCUS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT......Page 209
FOCUS, OWNERSHIP AND TIME......Page 214
Buildings......Page 218
Odds against......Page 219
Achieving success......Page 220
Strong, positive leadership by the headteacher and senior staff......Page 221
A good atmosphere and spirit......Page 222
Teaching and learning......Page 223
Responsibility for learning shared by pupils......Page 224
Participation by pupils in the life of the school......Page 225
Extra-curricular activities......Page 226
SCHOOL POLICY......Page 227
Policies......Page 228
THE BIRMINGHAM CONTEXT—A MAP FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT......Page 229
REFLECTIONS ON THE PROCESSES OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND THE KEY FACTORS IN ITS SUCCESS......Page 230
VISIONS OF SUCCESS......Page 234
WHOLE-SCHOOL POLICIES AND PRACTICE......Page 238
Physical environment......Page 239
Pupil behaviour......Page 241
Pupil progress......Page 242
Pupils......Page 244
Parents......Page 246
Community......Page 248
Judgement......Page 250
Omnipresence......Page 251
Personal style......Page 252
Shared leadership......Page 253
Building a team......Page 254
Developing the team......Page 255
THE IMPACT OF EDUCATION REFORMS......Page 257
WHERE NEXT?......Page 262
RESEARCH METHODS......Page 269
B A description of the life and work of the school......Page 270
D Accountability in the school......Page 271
REPORTS......Page 272
APPENDIX B  Terminology used in case studies......Page 273
INDEX......Page 276