Middleton Technology school excels against the odds

Ofsted has praised Middleton Technology school as one of 12 secondaries in the country that are performing best in deprived areas.

An Ofsted report highlights that the school's 'vision and conviction' should be an inspiration to others. The government inspectors have said that the strict discipline, strong leadership, staff training and helping pupils to achieve their best has helped the school to reach 'outstanding' status against the odds.

Middleton Technology school is described as a school 'brimming with purpose and initiative' in the report.

Allison Crompton has been head of the school since 2004 and within two years of her leadership the school was rated as 'outstanding'.

The school sets out to leave street culture at the gates. Pupils must wear a standard haircut and not bear any emblems of group allegiance.

The school is also a National Support School and is supporting two other schools in some depth. The school is much visited, recently hosting visits from Swiss leaders and five Leicestershire headteachers, and the headteacher undertakes outreach work with headteachers in Cumbria and Tameside.

The Ofsted publication states: "The school is ambitious and has very high expectations of students and staff alike.

"The school serves an unprosperous white working-class community described as having low aspirations for its children, together with a few pockets of greater affluence. Noted for its success in raising the relative performance of boys, the school is highly tuned to maximise the achievement of each individual student."

The school tracks pupils’ progress against targets, doing everything possible to help them succeed and supporting them if they slip behind. They also give high priority to appointing effective teachers and providing continuous professional development.

Christine Gilbert, the chief inspector of schools, said: "These schools show that excellence doesn't happen by chance. It is due to the vision and conviction of their leaders and the inspired, effective teams they have built.

"Much of what they do is already widespread in schools but in each case they do everything well. They show how to balance discipline with what one head movingly calls the 'healing and invigorating power of praise and celebration'.

"I hope the example of these schools will inspire others across the country so that all young people, regardless of where they go to school, will have the same opportunity of an excellent education."