Taking an comparative view of London’s education system, this report may be useful to policy workers looking for a fresh perspective on what England’s capital does well compared to other global cities, and how it can improve.
Interesting cities: five approaches to urban school reform
Synopsis
This report considers education reforms and outcomes in five global cities: London, New York, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro and Ho Chi Minh City. It examines why, while some aspects of these improvements are specific to each city, there is so much common ground in the strategies used to bring about success, despite the very different contexts.
London’s success, the report argues, is replicable elsewhere. London continues to do much right, such as the effective use of pupil and school performance data to prevent complacency and enable early intervention. However, the report identifies a growing threat to the city’s success: a looming teacher recruitment/retention crisis, and reduced support for leadership training and effective collaboration between schools.
Some of the key ways to improving education standards identified within the Interesting Cities report include consistent government policy over many years; strong coalitions between parents, teachers and the government; increased accountability for teachers, coupled with increased support; and effective school-to-school collaboration.
