Outstanding Secondary Schools!

I recently re-read the OFSTED publication "Twelve outstanding secondary schools: Excelling against the odds" again...

There are some outstanding secondary schools across the country and in Leeds; schools like Carr Manor, Cockburn, Roundhay, John Smeaton, Morley High and David Young.

These schools have achieved great things and reading the OFSTED report you understand that these are the characteristics we need to build consistently across all our secondary provision. The outstanding schools in the OFSTED sample succeed for the following reasons.

• They excel at what they do, not just occasionally but for a high proportion of the time.
• They prove constantly that disadvantage need not be a barrier to achievement, that speaking English as an additional language can support academic success and that schools really can be learning communities.
• They put their students first, invest in their staff and nurture their communities.
• They have strong values and high expectations that are applied consistently and never relaxed.
• They fulfil individual potential through providing outstanding teaching, rich opportunities for learning, and encouragement and support for each student.
• They are highly inclusive, having complete regard for the educational progress, personal development and well-being of every student.
• Their achievements do not happen by chance, but by highly reflective, carefully planned and implemented strategies which serve these schools well in meeting the many challenges which obstruct the path to success.
• They operate with a very high degree of internal consistency.
• They are constantly looking for ways to improve further. 
• They have outstanding and well-distributed leadership.

We must learn from these success stories and continue our relentless and uncompromising focus on building brilliant provision in every school to serve every community across the country... whatever it takes!
Chris