ABSTRACT
We began our task by formulating a strategy. We wished to meet representatives of all the key players: the principal and the senior management team; the governing body; the staff; and the students. From these representatives we wished to hear whether they considered the school to be successful and, if they did, what particular factors contributed to this success. In order to deploy our limited resources to the best effect, we agreed to specialise: Howard Davies would focus on management and organisational issues; Sarah Portway would focus on the way the school responded to parents and the community; and Peter Mortimore would focus on the academic life of the school.
