Andrew Griffin, Headteacher, Vaughan Primary School, Harrow, until Dec 2018, achieved outstanding Jan 2019.
Currently headteacher of Europe’s largest primary school, Claycots in Slough.

Vaughan Primary School was Andrew Griffin’s third headship. He took a strategic view of the school and looked ahead 7 years, developing leadership structure and capacity, all whilst maintaining a family approach of looking after one another. In that time the school expanded from 2 to 3 forms and they had a rebuild; yet the plan to build real and sustainable capacity continued.

It was through cooperation and collaboration over time, resisting short-term pressures, fixes and distractions, that Andrew created a school with strong structures and leadership, a school which secured an outstanding judgement two weeks after he left. This is a great example of what headship can look like when taking a school from good to outstanding.

Vaughan Primary School in Harrow is a larger than average school, with a high pupil mix and ever changing demographic, a high proportion of children speaking English as an additional language and a significant proportion of pupils with disability and special needs.

Andrew will be sharing how he and his team:
- Created a family in the school but with a sharp focus and achieved outstanding outcomes consistently.
- Made sure they looked after their team so hardly anyone left.
- Planned 7 years ahead to future proof the school.
- Built leadership capacity across the school.
- Built structures to future proof leadership capacity.
- Increased commitment to stakeholders/the community.
- Developed further capacity to give leaders opportunities for outreach work and support other schools.

Julie Hiddleston, Headteacher, William Morris Primary School, Banbury, achieved outstanding September 2018

In 2015 William Morris school went into special measures, a year late Julie Hiddleston became head and realised that special measures was a generous judgement, not helped by combined data of 4%.

The school is set in an area of low aspiration where education is not valued education, where only 35% of 18 to 26 year olds hold one GCSE. William Morris Primary School has a high number of children with special needs and a high number of children eligible pupil premium.

In Julie’s first year 80% of staff left, yet the school moved results from 4% to 33% to 69%, an impressive climb especially giving their children’s starting point (only 20% of children join at the expected level).

Key to the school’s success has been the incredible learning culture created across children and staff. Their vision, excellence in everything we do, permeates the high performing team the school has created in just a few years.

Julie will be sharing:
- Creating a real learning culture amongst all staff
- Staff who own their learning and drive it forward to benefit for the children
- How every opportunity is seen as a learning opportunity
- The hidden culture behind a culture of excellence

Sarah Rempel, Headteacher,Manorside Academy, Poole, achieved outstanding February 2018

Sarah joined Manorside Academy in 2015 when the school became a sponsored converter academy. Results had been consistently low for years; classes were without teachers, the budget was nearly in deficit and behaviour was poor. The school had a falling roll and the reputation in the local community was not favourable.

Three years later, the school achieved an Outstanding judgement from Ofsted. The inspectors noted that “Teaching is highly effective. Teachers set tasks which challenge pupils to give their best,” and “Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils love learning, and their very evident enthusiasm to take part and do well is a key factor in lessons.”

That enthusiasm permeates the very fabric of the school, with Sarah and her team relentlessly driving forward to raise attainment and progress whilst ensuring that every child feels loved and cared for and wants to do their very best.

In 2017, the school was the top in Poole for their progress score, however, they are still relentlessly pursuing the top spot in the league tables. Whilst results for EYFS and KS1 are consistently high, KS2 outcomes are not yet in line with national.

The school serves pupils from predominantly a White British Heritage and where the number of pupils eligible for free school meals was double the national average and there is a higher than usual number of pupils with SEN or disability.

Sarah won’t be sharing how the journey was easy, because it wasn’t; it’s been hard work and there is no magic formula. But, through relentless consistency of approach and their love for their pupils they have created a wonderful school, one that children and parents want to go to.

Sarah will be sharing how she and the team:
- Established high expectations where there were few
- Stripped everything back to focus on what matters most – good quality teaching and learning
- Showed visible leadership
- Established a shared vision
- Implemented a robust accountability structure
- Kept a relentless focus on consistency
- Developed a safe, happy school community filled with love
- Were judged outstanding with good, but not outstanding, data