Jonathan Clucas, Headteacher, Layton Primary School, Blackpool
Jonathan achieved outstanding October 2017. He has been a headteacher for twelve years in two schools serving areas with high levels of deprivation
Layton Primary School, Blackpool, is a large school with over 600 pupils on roll serving a one of the most deprived areas in the country. Blackpool has one of the lowest life expectancies, lowest average wage, one of the highest child poverty rates and the highest number of adults in receipt of unemployment benefits in the UK. The school has 35% free school meals and for Jonathan that makes it the ‘poshest school I’ve worked in’.
Jonathan has worked at many schools in challenging circumstances and has succeeded in moving them to being in at least the top 10% of schools for attainment and achievement in each consecutive year. Achievement has been placed within the highest 100 schools Nationally.
Jonathan will be sharing how:
- To focus on firing bullets not cannon balls – making things work before rolling them out.
- How vision is about every conversation, not just September INSET.
- How to teach teachers to become exceptional. - The need for love and tough love.
- The meaning of head teacher as ‘lead learner’.
- Relentless implementation for what you know works both in terms of the curriculum and pedagogy.
- Working on those things that makes the biggest difference.