Transforming an Education System
Lessons Learned from the London Challenge

LECTURE FOCUS
This presentation examines how the school education system in London was transformed from being the worse performing region in the country to the best.

The critical lessons learned include

• The development of a shared education vision based on moral purpose, ambition, aspiration and high expectations
• The importance of core purpose and core objectives with a focus on raising standards, improving progression, closing attainment gaps, and creating many more good and outstanding schools
• The systematic use of tracking and benchmarking pupil and school performance data;
• Investing in school leadership at different levels
• The extensive use of school-to-school support and system leadership, having a relentless focus on teaching and learning and professional development including the dissemination of best practice
• Increased specialist support for students and developing partnership working
• Networking with families, communities and support agencies.

All of the above was implemented through strong support systems but also with challenging accountability at school, district, and government levels.

 
ABOUT DAVID WOODS
David Woods is Chair of London Leadership Strategy and also works as an Education Consultant with schools, local authorities and academy chains. He is a member of the Wales Education Commission, Chair of the Norfolk Education Challenge Board and the Birmingham Education Commissioning Group, and a Visiting Professor at Warwick University and the Institute of Education, University College, London.

In the past, David has been a teacher and senior leader in schools, a teacher trainer and a Local Authority adviser in two LAs. He was the Chief Education Adviser for the City of Birmingham before joining the Department for Education as a Senior Education Adviser, working closely with Ministers to develop educational policy and subsequently becoming Head of the Department’s Advisory Service. He was the lead adviser to the London Challenge and then Chief Adviser to London schools – his standing in the education field is reflected in the fact that he has the unique distinction of having been the Chief Education Adviser to England’s two largest cities.

David has written and spoken extensively on school improvement and related education matters and his latest books, co-authored with Tim Brighouse, are The A-Z of School Improvement (2013) and The Story of London Challenge (2015). He has also written with Chris Husbands the Story of Tower Hamlets (2014) and recently edited 101 Quotable Quotes and More on Leadership and 101 Quotable Quotes and More on Teaching.

COST
Per Person $90

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