ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the Parkside Academy, one of the early independent state-funded schools in England and the process of describing what happened during the first ten years of Parkside Academy's existence. It points out the areas of concern, as the purposes of the school autonomy agenda and the efforts of the staff to make it a success are seen to be influenced by other policy initiatives. The new Principal of Parkside Academy had had considerable experience in various roles within the education system, including a period spent working for the government. The Academy was described to have significantly increased the life chances of the young people it serves, using phrases such as: 'The Phoenix rising from the ashes of Oak Drive High School'. The condition of the school building provides a tangible example of how this was done and the ways in which it was introduced to what is called here 'the official history' of the Academy.
