Top academy says staff policy freedom is key to success

From the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/23/watford-grammar-school-girls-gcse-rankings

'The headteacher, Dame Helen Hyde, credited her staff for the success... (she) singled out staff policies as the prime area where academy status had allowed flexibility.'



('Watford Grammar School for Girls recorded the most spectacular set of top grades among schools of its type in England, according to a study of last year's GCSE results by the Guardian and the analysts FFT.')

She told the Guardian: '"You can employ your own staff in the way you want, you can employ as many or as little. You can write your own job descriptions. You can improve pay and conditions for all staff, not just for teachers. My support staff are on much better pay and conditions than they were before.

'"I can restructure things within a year, I can change everything if I wanted to. You can do all these things and you can do them with speed and alacrity. It frees up your thinking. If you are a free thinker you can bring that attitude all the way into your school. You are training children to think in a free and independent way, and not be cramped."'