The exceptional achievements of Merton’s outstanding schools were recognised by the Mayor of London.
The remarkable performance of Ricards Lodge High School and Rutlish School were honoured by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, at the Schools for Success awards ceremony, held at City Hall on Friday 5 October. The event celebrated their achievements in supporting pupils needing extra help to fulfil their potential.
The Mayor’s Schools for Success programme aims to improve expectations and raise standards for London’s schoolchildren, regardless of their background.
Now in its second year, the programme has created a network through which schools can share experiences and best practice with others across London.
More than 100 eligible schools were invited to join the programme, and every local authority in the capital now has a school it can look to as an example. This group, refreshed annually, represents approximately six per cent of the capital’s schools.
The ceremony was hosted by Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare, Joanne McCartney.
Rutlish has been recognised by the Schools for Success programme because over the last ten years it has improved from the bottom 15% of schools nationally, to become an Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ school in the top 5% last year. The school has been able to achieve exceptional results by honing and tailoring their teaching and curriculum so that they are inclusive, active and engaging for all pupils.
Ricards Lodge High School was also recognised by the Schools for Success programme as a result of the hard work they put into improving pupil performance across a range of areas. This enabled their students to make above average progress in their KS4 results last year (P8 0.71) The school demonstrated this when it achieved its Outstanding rating from Ofsted in November 2017.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’d like to congratulate Ricards Lodge High school and Rutlish School for the fantastic work of their staff and pupils in the last year. Our Schools for Success programme shows the significant difference that a supportive and inclusive teaching environment can make for all pupils. London has some of the best schools in the country in the capital, and by working together, we can make sure that every young Londoner is given the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Merton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah said: “We are making Merton a great place for families, and I am incredibly proud of Ricards Lodge High and Rutlish School for this achievement. It is wonderful to see the hard work of the teaching staff and pupils recognised. I applaud them on their achievements, which are being held up as an example to other schools across London and am inspired by how they have put pupil engagement at the core of their work.”
Of the schools recognised this year, more than a third are participating for the second year running. All participating schools are encouraged to share their expertise with others through seminars and visits so that their success can be replicated across London.
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