Head teacher’s educational policy turns school around

A HEADTEACHER who flouted many educational orthodoxies in his attempts to dramatically turn around a school, has been awarded an OBE.

Frank Lennon, of St Modan’s in Stirling, outlined his "tough love" approach in a remarkably open interview to The Scotsman in 1999.

Two years after he took charge, inspectors descended to find out how a school where a third of pupils were entitled to grants towards shoes and school clothing had achieved a stunning improvement in exam results, particularly for boys.

Mr Lennon raised eyebrows by encouraging staff to form a closer, almost parental, relationship with the children - and a zero-tolerance approach to bad behaviour.

Staff could be found at the school gate first thing in the morning, in every corner of the playground during break and by the buses as they left, chatting to children, checking on behaviour and challenging them if they were not wearing school uniform.

Mr Lennon entered classrooms and patrolled corridors, questioning children, checking homework or, on occasion, asking them to turn out bags for a jotter inspection.

He denied being over-zealous, maintaining that attention to detail keeps boys, in particular, on their toes, snuffing out ambitions to play-up in class or do little work. A tatty jotter indicates an off-hand approach to work, he said.

Some staff were alarmed when he insisted that persistent truants with a track record of disrupting lessons should be pursued every day to get them into school. Mr Lennon also caused ructions when he abolished the "remedial " learning support department because of his controversial view that these departments often have too modest expectations of the pupils in their charge.

A third measure to lever up standards for the weakest or most alienated pupils was to abolish Foundation, the lowest level of the Standard Grade.

His central policy was that the lives of problem children should be turned around through education in mainstream classes, not case conferences with social workers and educational psychologists, which he maintains have a low rate of success. Rigorous discipline and a close paternal relationship with the children were seen as the key to making his policies work.

In a clear sign that Mr Lennon’s rule-breaking approach is perceived to be relevant in challenging catchment areas, the school was visited by Jack McConnell, then education minister, and praised rather than panned in a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education. The OBE indicates a further seal of approval.

Douglas Osler, head of HM Inspectorate of Education, was awarded the Order of the Bath. Mr Osler, appointed as senior chief inspector in 1996, has presided over the service during a period of great change. HMI has been a driving force in raising standards in Scottish schools.

Last year, the inspectorate lost its power to formulate policies over what and how children are taught in the classroom, but it became a semi-detached government agency and won power to inspect education authorities as well as schools.