Canning Street Primary School in Newcastle upon Tyne is living proof that social deprivation and poor schooling need not go hand in hand.

When Dame Mavis Grant took over as head in 1998, the school was judged by Ofsted to have “serious weaknesses”. Nine years later, the school is now rated as “outstanding” by the inspectorate, even though the level of social deprivation of its pupils has risen.

Nine years ago, the proportion of pupils speaking English as a second language was 28 per cent. Now it is 70 per cent.

The proportion of children eligible for free school meals stands at 44 per cent, nearly four times the national average. Around 90 per cent of its pupils live in a ward that ranks in the country’s poorest ten per cent.

Dame Mavis said the key to turning the school around lay in providing strong leadership, support and training for staff.

“When I arrived, the staff seemed demoralised. One way I changed this was to set out clear expectations for each staff member so they had a clear sense of direction.

“We also introduced systematic tracking of pupil progress, with reviews on a half termly basis,” she said.

“The ethos is very different now. It is a very vibrant and exciting school to be in.”

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