Forest Gate Community School
Setting high standards and developing a culture of challenge
What problems were in your school and how did you identify them?
Our school is located in an urban area of social disadvantage. We were presented with a culture of low expectations and weak systems to analyse and improve staff performance.
What actions did you take?
We set high expectations for staff performance and student outcomes, benchmarking our progress against the best performing schools in the country. We now employ comprehensive monitoring systems alongside robust data-driven progress models to challenge and engage every student. The school promotes a ‘no excuses’ culture which has been fully adopted by both the staff and student body. The local community is invited to share in our successes, and we have embedded the belief that a student’s socio-economic background should never be an impediment to their success. Our headteacher has created a team of high performing senior and middle leaders who maintain these expectations and are encouraged to take a rigorous and innovative approach to leadership, teaching and learning.
What were the outcomes?
Since 2011, we have vastly improved the outcomes for all of our students, including sending numerous graduates to prestigious colleges.
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