Philip Lawrence’s deputy is to carry on the work of improving St George’s, report Frances Rafferty and Mark Whitehead. Headteacher Philip Lawrence was seeking help to improve his school, which had only recently been taken off the “cause for concern” list, just before he was fatally stabbed defending a pupil from a group of youths two weeks ago.
In a letter to Professor John Gray, director of research at Homerton College, Cambridge, Mr Lawrence said he wanted to find case studies of schools which been turned round from a very low base and asked: “Or are we a hopeless case?” This week Professor Gray said he had been unable to offer immediate help. He paid tribute to the work already done at St George’s School. It was certainly not a hopeless case, he said.
He has suggested setting up a network of schools in disadvantaged areas which are trying to raise standards.
In his letter, written less than a month before his death, Mr Lawrence told Professor Gray that since he took on St George’s Catholic School, in Maida Vale, north-west London, he has managed to increase the number of pupils passing five or more GCSEs with at least grade C from 6 per cent to a “still very low 15 per cent”.
He said the school’s roll had increased by 40 per cent in the past 18 months due to a vigorous self-promotion campaign. As a result of redundancies and early retirements, more than a third of the staff were not at the school two years ago and the age profile was much younger. Mr Lawrence had also excluded 60 pupils as part of his drive to improve discipline, making him one of the country’s strictest heads.
In 1993 the school was named as a “cause for concern”. HM inspectors visited twice this year, and now say they have no need to return.
Mr Lawrence, formerly head of Dick Sheppard comprehensive in the London borough of Lambeth, which closed earlier this year, said St George’s had problems. A total of 64 per cent of pupils were on free meals, 49 per cent did not have English as a first language, and 14 pupils out of 470 had statements of special need. Pupil turnover was high: a quarter of the 1995 GCSE cohort entered St George’s after the beginning of year 10 and nearly 40 per cent at Year 9.
Mr Lawrence’s attempts to improve the school will now be continued by his deputy Andrew Graham. Mr Graham had been offered a job as acting head at another London school, St Richard of Chichester, two days before the stabbing. But now, following an emergency governors’ meeting, he has agreed to stay on to help the school to get over its tragedy.
Gillian Shephard, Education and Employment Secretary, said she will review school security and intends discussing ways to strengthen the laws on school trespass with the Home Secretary.
A meeting last week between Robin Squire, education minister, teacher unions and local authority officers, was given evidence by the National Association of Head Teachers showing that 69 heads and deputies had been assaulted or violently abused this year and that 12 heads and deputies had claims before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
Professor Gray said: “Mr Lawrence was obviously very successful in improving St George’s and other people might have wanted to learn from him.
“His question is very relevant and I don’t have an immediate answer. I envisage a network of schools in areas with a high level of disadvantage that were also engaged in trying to improve themselves. They could share their knowledge and experience of what makes a difference.”
Professor Gray said a meeting of interested schools could be held in the new year.
