Miriam Lord is a large primary school in Bradford. Nearly all pupils are EAL and the proportion of children claiming FSM is well above the national average, as is the percentage of pupils on the SEN register.
How the school has used Focus Education
As a school we have used a wide range of services from Focus Education since 2008 including: whole school curriculum development in partnership with local schools, training and conferences; as
well as using the six day consultancy package to support the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team. The support received has enabled us to work on a range of school improvement issues, for
example our curriculum development work has enabled us to develop a more skills-based approach to learning that is relevant and engaging for our children. Whole staff training, as well as specific support for our curriculum leader has ensured the school is able to gain advice with any on-going issues, as well as celebrating successes. The recent consultancy support for SLT has enabled us to target specific school improvement issues, and look at ways of strategically addressing them.
Evaluation
Through the six day package the school was provided with excellent support through an experienced, supportive consultant who was highly empathetic to our needs. As a result he was able to provide up-to-date advice to the Senior Leadership Team, as well as practical strategies based on ‘real-life experience’– something which is invaluable in the world of consultancy support. Our consultant was also highly responsive to the changing needs of the school and did not arrive with a pre-prepared ‘agenda’. Throughout this work, as well as our curriculum development, we have
received a fantastic service right from the initial phone call.
