Schooling the estate kids / / Carl Parsons.

• Superior document: Studies in Professional Life and Work ; v.7
• Author: Parsons, Carl.
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Edition: 1st ed. 2012.
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in professional life and work ; v. 7; Studies in Professional Life and Work ; 7
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (170 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Schooling the Estate Kids chronicles the trajectory of one Kent secondary school which was twice dubbed ‘the worst school in England’ in the national press. Serving a high poverty neighbourhood, The Ramsgate School was challenged by national targets, low levels of attainment of the school intake at 11 and difficulties of recruitment and retention of quality staff. The local housing estates were amongst the most deprived in the country and shared the school’s negative reputation. The school became The Marlowe Academy in 2005 with new leadership and a new building (in 2006). Student numbers increased, attendance and attainment came close to the national average and the atmosphere in the school was transformed, though the characteristics of the pupils in terms of special needs (twice the national average) and deprivation (more than twice the national average entitled to free school meals) remained unchanged. This book questions the notion that school improvement and school leadership are key areas to focus on when the socio-economic circumstances of pupils, poverty, dwarf all the other factors which are related to the educational progress of students.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Carl Pasons -- Introduction / Carl Pasons -- An Estate of Mind / Carl Pasons -- I Live on the Newington Estate / Carl Pasons -- The Ecology of a School in Challenging Circumstances / Carl Pasons -- The Worst School in England – Whose Fault? / Carl Pasons -- School Improvement and Blood on the Tracks / Carl Pasons -- The Academy – Vision, Principles, Structures and Ethos of a New Beginning / Carl Pasons -- The Marlowe Academy – Action, Reaction and Impact / Carl Pasons -- School Improvement Measures – Academic Research, Practical Interventions, Failing, Succeeding / Carl Pasons -- A School to Serve: Young People and Parents with Views, Hopes and Aspirations / Carl Pasons -- Making a Working Class School Work / Carl Pasons -- The Story to August 2012 / Carl Pasons -- Methodology / Carl Pasons -- Notes / Carl Pasons -- Index / Carl Pasons.