Dagenham: Dignity is key to school's success

Dominic Savage

From the amalgamation of two challenging schools, one with a rather violent reputation, to one of the leading schools in the borough, All Saints Secondary School in Dagenham has come a long way since its establishment 25 years ago. Dominic Savage, chair of governors of All Saints Secondary School, explains how the school's Catholic ethos has seen it go from strength to strength. As the school's current and remarkable headteacher is due to retire next year, Dominic also explains what they are looking for in a leader, and what a unique opportunity it is for the right candidate.

History

25 years ago, we were trying to make a change in an area where education was very set in its ways; there were few expectations or aspirations, and the general consensus was that if you didn't get a job at Ford's or one of their suppliers in Dagenham then you probably weren't going to be employed. Indeed, there was a lot to be done in the early days to raise the standards of the school and build the idea that education was worthwhile; something that would lead to achievement, and ultimately a better future.

As a Catholic school, we were no stranger to hearing people speak about 'gospel values', but we knew that wouldn't be the case with everyone, so the word we latched onto was 'dignity', and promoted this idea throughout the school community. From students, teachers and parents to the dinner ladies, groundskeepers and neighbours, every interaction within the school, had dignity at the forefront; in doing this, it changed the way everyone thought about each other. After implementing an ethos of treating everyone with dignity, coupled with a strict disciplinary code based on absolute consistency of application, things started to change; we were officially on the road to raising standards and expectations.

Reaching milestones

It took four to five years, but eventually we began to see a calm throughout the school and an overriding sense of the school being a safe and effective place of learning and achievement; 25 years later, we haven't had to change that vision, we've just had to pursue it ever more relentlessly, and it has more than paid off.

From a place where students had no aspirations, nor were they expected to achieve very much, All Saints now has a 100 percent A* - G GCSE rate, and we are above the national average for most subjects. In addition, we now have at least one past pupil in each of the Russel Group Universities. Of course, we want to help our students who are academically inclined, but we also want success for those who aren't; our aim for both is to steer them towards the educational outcomes needed so that they can be 'happily employed', and this is very important to us. We want our students to go on to secure the employment they want, rather than that which they need. We regularly bring back past students who have gone on to achieve great academic and other success and are happily employed to inspire and encourage our current students.

Going forward

We've established ourselves as one of the leading schools in the borough, but our sights are set on being a leading Catholic school in the country! Our current head, Kevin Wilson, has done an amazing job in his role over the past 10 years; he's been instrumental in the school's success over that time. However, Kevin is due to retire next year so we have begun looking for a new head to fill these very large boots!

We anticipate the next year or two won't be without challenges; for example, we have just had a £7 million refurbishment and expansion which will see the school grow by one third, to accommodate the desperate need for secondary school places in the borough. However, we need to use that expansion to ensure the right balance between establishing the best academic routes for students, but also the best range and quality of higher level skills development and vocational training, offering a better mix and match for the changing needs of our students.

But these challenges will provide the perfect opportunity for the right candidate to make a real impact on our school, to put their stamp on it and create their own legacy! We're not saying it will be easy, but as always, the new head will have the full support of the board of governors. It's an appealing role for someone that wants to make a difference. Not only do we want our school to be a leading Catholic school in the country, but we also want our new head to be seen as a leading head in the country!

Editor's Note: See a picture of the school on ICN's Facebook Page.