How do strong schools stay strong?

There is no one recipe for building and sustaining strength in school performance, nor should we seek to find one. It is for school leaders to determine the approaches that will best serve the young people in their care. However, our work in the Leading Edge network – in particular the survey, working parties, conferences and interviews with school leaders – has revealed a few key principles that may go some way to answering the question ‘How do strong schools stay strong’?

Confidence is a defining feature of strong schools – confidence in leadership, in establishing and sharing a coherent vision and understanding of what outstanding pedagogy looks like. Strong schools are good at knowing what to say ‘no’ to and avoiding unnecessary change. They maintain an unswerving focus on the needs of young people and ensure the highest standards of teaching and learning. They are restless and always looking to improve, but they are not driven by fads and are highly selective about where they put their efforts. Strong schools recognise that they do not always get it right, but are quick to recognise when something isn’t working and able to put things back on track when they go wrong.

This report is the result of discussions that have taken place throughout the year – through a Leading Edge member survey, working parties in London and Manchester, contributions to our annual conference and over 20 interviews with headteachers. Leading Edge is a long-established national network of high-performing secondary and special schools committed to collaboration and innovation.