Here’s an interesting thing: Saltley Academy students have got their best GCSE results in years and the Headteacher sent us a kind email thanking us for our contribution to this improvement. The thing is we have been working in the school on and off for two years and never directly worked with any of the students whose results have just come through, so why the thanks? How do we muscle in on any glory?

“Thank you for your contribution to creating the ethos in the Academy which has enabled them to do so well.”

Of course, school’s about much more than just what happens in the classroom and were (and continue to be) part of a much bigger effort towards a change of culture, here’s taste of what else has been going on:

Students took part in mixed school a cricket tournament organised by Deloitte and Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
Prince William came to school as part of the Football For Peace initiative.
The school linked up with the Water City Arts Programme .
They have hosted an event for Amar Foundation and advised them on setting up schools for refugees in Iraq. A little of this good work was reported in this feature in The Guardian.

So politicians listen up, there’s a lot more involved in improving results than pounding kids with Maths and English tuition.

You may have read about our headline projects with schools such as Saltely’s spectacular St.George’s Steps, Billesley’s audacious Any Fool Can Start A War or this summer’s triple-header of shows – The Tempest, Superfast Shakespeare and Tiverton Primary’s The Worm In The Grass but there is lots more going on. Projects with our partner schools can be very modest so we have rejigged our website in this area to help you see what’s been going on so please take the opportunity to go and have a wander around it.

What does the future hold? Who knows? Hopefully more fun and better outcomes. The motivation is there, such is the enthusiasm that we even had a plotting and scheming meeting with Billesley School during the summer holidays! Watch this new improved space.