Greater Expectations: Enabling Achievement for Disadvantaged Students

This insightful book explores how the London Academy of Excellence achieved remarkable social mobility success, offering strategies for school leaders everywhere.

In Greater Expectations: Enabling Achievement for Disadvantaged Students, the authors delve into the strategic, policy-driven, and cultural elements that have contributed to the remarkable success of the London Academy of Excellence (LAE). This sixth-form school in Newham, UK, has become a beacon of social mobility, dedicated to providing high-quality education to ambitious students from lower-income backgrounds. By examining the practices that have led to the LAE's impressive track record, the book offers valuable insights that can be applied by school leaders in various educational contexts.

The LAE's mission is clear: to combat disadvantage and ensure that students from less privileged backgrounds receive an education comparable to that of the best independent schools. Over its first decade, the LAE has successfully guided more than 1,300 students to Russell Group universities, including over 200 to medical schools and more than 150 to prestigious institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. Many of these students are trailblazers, being the first in their families to attend university, showcasing the transformative power of education.

Greater Expectations provides a framework for enhancing educational outcomes through higher expectations. The authors highlight key concepts, such as leveraging the curriculum as a vehicle for social mobility, planning for successful student transitions, and implementing challenge strategies to foster academic excellence. The book concludes with a comprehensive list of actionable strategies that school leaders can adopt to cultivate a culture of high expectations in their institutions.