Improving Schools in DifficultyFor the last few years there has been wave after wave of reform aimed at improving a lot of the schools struggling at the bottom of the ladder of performance, and despite what can be interpreted as best intentions, the problem persists. As a social problem it draws down significant sums of public money, it exercises many talented people, and yet, time after time we find that three, four, maybe five years down the road after extended efforts the impact of the work diffuses and the challenges remain, doggedly evident in people's daily lives. It suggests that perhaps something is wrong in our interpretation, in our analysis, in our approach and our consequent measure of effect of our activity with difficult schools. Improving Schools in Difficulty is structured around two parts, part one examines the principles of engagement with schools in difficulty and part two looks at ways of improving the process of supporting schools in difficulty. |
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achievement Ainscow approach argued behaviour cent Christopher Chapman classroom colleagues consultant heads context curriculum deprivation DfES disadvantaged areas Education Action Zone effective schools Effectiveness and School evidence example expectations experience external facing challenging circumstances factors Falmer focus free school meals GCSE GNVQ Hargreaves Hopkins impact important improvement efforts improving schools initiatives involved issues Key Stage learning communities learning disadvantage levels literacy local education authorities London MacBeath Maden Mortimore Muijs Ofsted Open University Open University Press parents particular performance poverty practice problems professional development programme pupils relationships Reynolds Richard Riddell school culture school development School Effectiveness school improvement schools facing challenging schools in challenging schools in difficulty schools in disadvantaged schools in special social socio-economic special measures staff staffroom Stoll strategies Stringfield success sustain improvement targets teachers teaching and learning Teddlie Wrigley young