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John Atkins met Prime Minister Gordon Brown

A successful secondary school is taking part in a national project to help raise standards across the country - even if it means losing some of its staff in the process. LINDA PIPER finds out more.

JOHN Atkins has a lot to be proud of. He is the headteacher at Kemnal Technology College, on the borders of Sidcup and Orpington.

As a national leader of education, his efforts and those of his staff were recently recognised when he was invited, along with others fulfilling a similar role, to 10 Downing Street to be thanked by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

But what does being a national leader of education mean?

Kemnal was selected as a national support school in September 2006.

This sees successful schools help others which are struggling by importing tried and tested methods, and staff, to help out.

Kemnal has been assisting three local secondary schools and 33 others across the country.

Mr Atkins said: "We started with intensive work at Debden Park High School in Essex, successfully moving it out of special measures within six months, the quickest time a school has ever achieved it."

Adrian Brown and Vivienne Hughes visit 33 schools

In fact this was so successful, when the school advertised for a permanent headteacher, a member of Kemnal's staff got the job.

Kemnal worked for a term with Eltham Green School last year and is still working intensively with Welling School, in Elsa Road, which is in special measures. Kemnal has drafted in an interim headteacher there.

At Welling, a number of Kemnal staff and Mr Atkins are at the school regularly.

Kemnal also has two staff who spend up to three days every week on the road, visiting its other 33 schools for less intensive work and with a "toolkit" on methods of working.

They are Kemnal executive vice principal Vivienne Hughes and former Bromley headteacher Adrian Brown.

The school also runs a phone help desk in case any of the schools need immediate advice.

Work with the 33 schools is funded by the Government's Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, but the school charges local authorities for its intensive work.

Mr Atkins says this, in turn, enables Kemnal to employ more young staff and offer them better promotion prospects.

He added: "This means we have very stable staffing."

It has also enabled the school to drive up its own standards.

Kemnal has recently become a trust school, which means its governors now manage its outreach work, and already Debden Park is consulting parents about joining the Kemnal trust.

This would enable the school to receive continuing input from Kemnal to maintain its improvements.

Mr Atkins said: "We have a certain way of working at Kemnal and when we have offered our model to other schools, their standards improve."

Kemnal's own rise from a failing school to an outstanding one has already been the subject of an academic study.

Mr Atkins added: "I thoroughly enjoy the work and so do the staff.

"It is all about helping schools to develop into good schools.

"Hopefully everyone gains, and it is very rewarding."

10:55am Tuesday 13th May 2008

Kemnal Technology College helps three local schools

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