Leading UK Educationalist to Visit NZ

Leading UK Educationalist to Visit NZ

Sir Paul Grant suspended 300 troublemakers in his first week to send the message that the 'anything goes' culture had to change. It worked. Last year East London’s Robert Clack School received the best A-level results in Barking and Dagenham borough and some of the best in the capital.

Now the man credited with turning around one of East London’s toughest secondary schools, is heading to New Zealand later this month and the visit comes at a good time for educators, with strong feelings being expressed by some, towards the newly-introduced National Standards.

Sir Paul says over the past 20 odd years, his country has also gone through something of a transformation in terms of central accountability and a focus on the performance of schools.

"Accountability and professionalism are both key to a successful school. I'm a strong advocate of the professionalism of the teaching profession and believe that very good teachers accept accountability. Teaching is such an important profession that we need to accept that people will look at us and expect us to have high standards," he says.

Sir Paul says having test results focuses the mind and makes people accountable.

"Yes you get people screaming and shouting that you will only teach to the test, but where's the accountability in the tougher, poorer areas? What's the alternative? Do we sit back and watch the children fail? That's not me saying I don't trust teachers, but I think all human beings need a bit of pressure and having that accountability is the key."

Sir Paul's school introduced an accountability system, which was partnered with a reward scheme. "Before this, there was shouting, screaming, gangs, mayhem and very little praise. I introduced a culture where you couldn't carry on with this appalling behaviour, because you would be held to account. At the same time, if you behaved well, you achieved. I built rewards into the system and I got our teaching colleagues to look at the children differently - in a much more professional way."

"We came from a vicious circle into a virtuous circle. As relationships improved, achievement improved," he says.

While in New Zealand, Sir Paul will visit a former staffer from Robert Clack School, who left last year to teach at Auckland Grammar, where he hopes to set up a partnership between the two schools.

ENDS