A heartwarming account of Parklands School’s transformative journey towards becoming a safe, loving environment in which all of its learners can thrive. The pupils at Parklands Primary School, located on the Seacroft estate in Leeds, often face significant hardship. The housing on the estate is often overcrowded and grinding poverty is everywhere, bringing with it all the social ills which this creates. Children start the school significantly behind their peers nationally, especially with their speech and language. Yet the school is famed for outstanding learning – both in terms of Ofsted judgement and, more importantly, in achieving stratospheric outcomes for its learners. So what’s driving these outcomes? In this inspiring book, head teacher Chris Dyson shares his story of how he has steered the school towards the seemingly impossible educational dream of high achievement, personalised support and complete inclusion. He explains how the school setting can be a place where there is love but also hope and relentless ambition for children, and reflects on the steps that he and his staff have put in place to make this a reality for Parklands’ pupils. Chris delves into how this culture and climate of love drives behaviour and decisionmaking throughout the school – and, as a result, how this nurtures the relationships which underpin everything that happens at Parklands. Features and benefits:
* Examines how the school broadens its pupils’ experiences and cultural capital by means of residential trips, in-school productions, and sports and arts provision.
* Shares numerous anecdotes which illustrate the values that the school seeks to promote – namely, a belief that every child is worthy and capable of success.
* Explains how the school manages to balance pastoral and academic priorities in delivering the best outcomes for each pupil.
* Provides insights into how the leadership team goes about raising funds for the school – and how they choose to spend it on both curricular and extracurricular projects.
Chris Dyson is the proud head teacher of Parklands Primary School in Seacroft in Leeds. Chris was brought up in a single-parent household and received free school clothes and free school meals himself as a child, which has meant that the connection between his early life and that of Parklands’ pupils is built on understanding. Chris believes that education is the key to making the future brighter, and he is fuelled by a desire to provide his pupils with the best education and opportunities possible.
