Bishopshalt School and St Louis Grammar School – ‘Transforming’ in all 12 strands of SSAT’s Framework for Exceptional Education

Congratulations to the teams at Bishopshalt School in London and St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena, who have become the latest two Leading Edge schools to successfully achieve ‘transforming’ status in all 12 strands of the SSAT Framework for Exceptional Education. St Louis are the first school in Northern Ireland to achieve accreditation in all 12 strands.

Accreditation in all areas of the framework represents a significant achievement and is a testament to the work of leaders and teachers in both schools. Accreditation involves two reviews – one by another school in the Leading Edge network and a second by a member of the Leading Edge team. Visiting schools were consistently impressed by the depth of practice in both schools and the way in which leaders articulate the thinking which underpins their work.

At Bishopshalt School, leaders have worked over a number of years to refine practice in all areas, particularly focusing on ensuring that students’ experiences are consistently excellent. This has involved a systematic review of the curriculum across all subject areas and a drive to further improve teaching and learning. Liam McGillicuddy, Headteacher, explains that underpinning their success is a culture of improvement which really puts children’s needs first.

“It is important to maintain a culture of restlessness, where you recognise that the job is never done and there is always room for improvement. Everyone in the team is critical to the school and everyone wants to keep getting better.”

Similarly, the principal at St Louis, Jacqui O’Neill explains how the school’s vision and culture is central to their achievements. “Our vision at St Louis is Excellence, Endeavour and Empowerment -we strive for excellence in everything we do. The Framework for Exceptional Education allowed us to audit our practice and ensure that we are fulfilling this vision. Our sights are always on providing the highest standards and best educational experience we can for the children under our care.”

Part of the school vision at St Louis is ‘endeavour’ and reviewers commented on the culture of determination and hard work within the school. High quality learning and teaching is always the most important priority, and investing in teachers’ professional development has been key. Student voice has also played a central role in the school improvement process.

Leaders in both schools have valued feedback from other schools in the network and enjoyed the opportunity to visit other settings.

The team at SSAT would like to thank the teams at both Bishopshalt and St Louis for their engagement with the framework. It is clear that other schools in the network have gained a great deal from engaging with Bishopshalt and St Louis and valued their openness in sharing their work.

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