Harris Academy Greenwich 2018/19
Relentless focus
What problems were in your school and how did you identify them?
- Low literacy
- Low aspirations at home and in the community
- Attendance issues
- Behaviour issues, especially with our white working-class boys
What actions did you take?
We avoided quick fixes like ECDL for all students.
We had an extremely robust approach to behaviour whilst not falling into the 'no excuses' trap, which can lead to other issues. We utilised life coaching, mentoring, counselling, weekly inspirational assemblies, parental coaching, careers advising, guest speakers and mentors, and a whole host of other levers to inspire the students and keep them focused.
We focused then on the quality of teaching. Teachers need to know their specifications inside out and back to front; they need to know the common misconceptions; they need to understand how to 'make it stick' and 'stop the forgetting' which became part of our T&L mantra.
What were the outcomes?
100% exam attendance.
We hit the top 12% in England for progress, with +0.53.
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