A HEAD teacher has won national acclaim for his leadership after transforming the fortunes of a North-East school.
Calvin Kipling and his senior management team have been awarded the Prince’s Teaching Institute School Leadership Programme Mark just weeks after receiving recognition from the same body for music and arts.
The accolade, awarded to just 50 schools nationally, recognises the work being carried out which has seen a rejuvenation of standards at Darlington School of Mathematics and Science.
When Mr Kipling became head teacher in 2010, the school was languishing in the bottom one per cent nationally.
A new name, cultural shift and overhaul of curriculum and facilities has seen it secure a position among the best 17 per cent of schools in the country.
He said: “Everything we have done here has been for the benefit of our students to ensure they receive the best possible start to their lives and to maximise opportunities in the future.
“But I’m delighted that we have received national recognition which vindicates the changes and validates our hard work.”
He said it was vital to go the extra mile so students were not just good at a subject but were also interested in it.
“Often A* students don’t go on to study the course at A Level because they have been trained to excel at exams but have not been imbued with a love of the subject,” he said.
“We believe it is important to provide an interesting curriculum that stretches and challenges students but also one that they enjoy.”
The Prince’s Institute mark lasts for three years but Mr Kipling says the development doesn’t stop now.
“We have an on-going programme which we are constantly questioning, adapting and honing to ensure the students are receiving the very best education,” he said.
Last month DSMS received two accolades from the prestigious Prince’s Teaching Institute recognising the work of its teachers in art and music for providing inspirational lessons in which students learnt to motivate and drive themselves.
