OLEVI celebtrates three schools recently recognised by Ofsted to be Outstanding in all categories. Here, the schools share how the Improving Teacher Programme and Outstanding Teacher Programme have been instrumental in their journey to excellence.

Royal Wootton Basset Academy

Wootton Bassett has used both the ITP and OTP as part of its staff development plan, adopting them to ensure quality of teaching and learning. So successful was their experience of the programmes’ benefits that they went on to facilitate them to schools within their Challenge Partner Hub, developing a coaching culture and enabling more of the other participating school’s staff to benefit from the programmes.

In September 2013, the school was accredited as a Teaching School and is the Lead School for the North Wiltshire Teaching Alliance (NWiTS) – an alliance of 11 primary and 2 secondary schools.

“We would like to offer the ITP and OTP as tools for improving teaching and learning throughout the alliance, as we value it and have seen it work in our own school. We recognise that the professional development of all staff, needs to be of the highest quality, equally important and focused on student outcomes.”

Steve Kneller, Deputy Head Teacher, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, Wiltshire

The King John School

“The King John School has had a significant number of staff go through both the ITP and OTP in the year prior to the school’s recent Ofsted inspection. The majority of those on the OTP were seen at some point during the inspection and all consistently had lessons graded as Outstanding.

The programmes helped demonstrate our relentless focus on the quality of teaching. We were able to show the impact the programmes had on the quality of teaching and had individual case studies that showed the development of our staff.

The programmes continue to be a key part of the CPD offered in the school and the benefits are felt across the school.”

Robert Sweeney, Assistant Headteacher, The King John School, Benfleet, Essex

Holyhead School

“Holyhead School has been involved with OLEVI since 2011. The school has used both the ITP and the OTP to support over 70 members of staff.

As a result, we have been able to embed a strong open door policy and develop a coaching structure within the school to support teachers of all experience. We continue to see the OLEVI programmes as an integral part of our continuing professional development.”

Lorna Owen, Vice Principal, Holyhead School, Birmingham

“Professional development has a positive impact on the success of the school. The school works collaboratively with schools locally and nationally to provide courses, training and coaching to improve teaching and learning, and to share outstanding practice.”

Ofsted inspection of Holyhead School, December 2013