OF COURSE WE WANT EVERY CHILD TO GO TO A GREAT SCHOOL... BUT THIS IS A SIMPLISTIC APPROACH!

In a world where OFSTED strikes fear into the hearts of headteachers and teachers, it is important to remember that the current short-term, quick fix and interventionist approach is not based on in-depth understanding of the research evidence about what works or a detailed understanding of the context and culture of schools.

It is important to remember that the core business of schools is teaching and learning and, to achieve this, the school leaders have to find ways to overcome the many obstacles learners are facing. We need to look carefully at John Hattie's work and the Sutton Trust Toolkit on 'what works and what doesn't' and stop doing the things that have little impact on outcomes. Importantly, schools, headteachers, teachers and students need to focus and to move from a culture of dependency to a culture of enterprise, discipline and hard work supported by feedback, master coaching and deliberate practice.