‘Delivering School Improvement in the Real World’

Sir William Samuel Atkinson, Executive HeadteacherThe Phoenix Canberra Schools Federation

Thursday October 6th 2011

• A major report by McKinsey & Company in 2009 titled “The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools” notes that:

• If the United States had in recent years closed the gap between educational achievement levels and those of better performing nations as Finland and Korea, GDP in 2008 could have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher. This represents 9 to 16 percent of GDP.

The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools

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• If the gap between low income students and the rest had similarly narrowed, GDP in 2008 would have been $400 billion to $670 billion higher

• If the gap between America’s low performing states and the rest had been similarly narrowed, GDP in 2008 would have been $425 billion to $475 billion higher

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The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools

White City• The White City Estate is ranked within the top 5% of the most deprived

neighbourhoods nationally with regard to income level and within the 10% most deprived with regards to barriers to housing and services

• 53% of tenants are rent in arrears

• Wormholt and White City Ward has one of the highest standardised mortality rates

• Birth rate and domestic over-crowding highlight significant health problems on White City Estate

• Highest concentration of residents on Council’s Disability and Mental Registers, as well as those receiving Community Care packages to support independent living at home

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The Mail On Sunday, March 1994

• INDEPENDENT inspectors believe that it is possibly the worst school in Britain

…..And with good reason

• A generation of inner-city children, many from poorer backgrounds have been still being – betrayed by a school, which is consistently failing to equip them for life

• This is a story of a school in despair, of a comprehensive so out of control that this week Education Secretary, John Patten, will name it as one of the worst in Britain

• It is so bad, so obviously failing its pupils, that it may become the first in this country to be taken from council control and handed to a team of experts run under directions from Westminster

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Daily Mirror, October 1994

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TES, October 1997

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• 535 students on roll (11-16)

• 75%, 25% boy/girl ratio

• 60%+ free school meals

• 55% SEN

• 40-45 different languages spoken

• Vast majority of students reading on entry below chronological age

• 35% mobility

Student Make-up 1994

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Ofsted 1994: Key Judgements

• There is little sense of coherent management and direction within the school • …. the implementation of policies and procedures is inconsistent between and

within the main areas of the school

• The school has no systematic and underpinning culture of monitoring and evaluation to inform its subsequent actions using clear, shared and agreed criteria

• There is no evident and distinctive positive ethos in the school

• Some staff display a lack of self confidence in their ability to ensure a suitable working environment

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Ofsted 2008: Key Judgements

• “The Phoenix is a remarkable school; it continues to transform the life chances of both students and their families. It can do this because the School operates from a deeply rooted understanding, and heart-felt appreciation of the challenging circumstances that many of the students come from.”

• “Achievement at the school is outstanding. Students attain examination results in yr 11 that are broadly similar to those found nationally; because of their exceptionally low starting points, this is outstanding progress.”

• “The School is exceptionally well led.”

• Judged to be Outstanding

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Key Drivers For Success

• Recruitment and retention of the best people

• Continuous professional development

• Clear specification of what success should look like in the classroom

• Transparent monitoring process with clear agreed success criteria

• Constructive feedback which informed follow-up discussions and further targets and agreed support

• Ownership of goals and target – critical

• Targets, benchmarks against the best (not just similar schools)11

External Challenge and Support

• Office For Standards in Education (OFSTED)

• League Tables

• London Challenge

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What Else?

• High Expectation for all regardless of starting position

• Strong reward and discipline system

• Extensive range of extra-curricular activities

• Community engagement and empowerment