In 2018, the University of Northampton offered me the opportunity to explore the variable attainment across Northampton Town Schools. The project concluded in September 2019, following a thematic analysis of qualitative data from interviews of leaders, teachers, and support staff. The role consisted of mapping and comparing data from current Ofsted reports of Northampton schools, focusing on the overall effectiveness of the leaders and the teaching.
Data on education, economic, geographic, and demographic issues in Northampton Town Wards were mapped to establish themes impacting the educational system in Northampton. The findings indicate that the research has revealed some positive ways in which Northampton Town schools are addressing diverse, complex issues, and positively contributing to the local children’s well-being, educational attainment, and achievement. The role consisted of the transcription of interviews and the completion of two literature reviews. The literature reviews focused on the impact of leadership on education and the quality of teaching.
A summary of keywords used for each grading system of Ofsted reports was created to establish the language used and the key area’s schools needed to focus on. The report provided insight into why individual schools within Northampton have continued to remain successful and have been labelled as ‘Outstanding.’ The research explores the challenges headteachers face within their schools, such as problems with keeping excellent teachers at their schools and how social media has impacted the youth of today, both positively and negatively. The research also explored what headteachers believe are key elements regarding the secrets to/behind what makes a school successful in Northamptonshire.
Natalie Quinn-Walker 