The Nine Pillars of Great Schools

What makes a school great? Studies into good schools are numerous, but there has been much less written about great schools. The former are more common, but with success comes complacency; good is the enemy of great. In 2009 the London Leadership Strategy established the Going for Great programme, creating a forum for leaders of schools rated `outstanding' by Ofsted. This collaboration sought to identify and share best practice; based on their case studies, school-to-school visits, the research literature and through seminar, debates and discussions, a model of great schooling has emerged.This publication seeks to explore in depth the Nine Pillars of Greatness written by the course leaders of the Going for Great programme. It considers the range of characteristics that define great schooling, from a school's values and ethos, leadership and teaching to its curriculum, approach to professional development, learning community and ongoing self-evaluation.Supported by a wealth of academic pedagogical texts and written by three authors who have spent their lives in education, The Nine Pillars of Great Schools examines the commonalities between the most successful institutions and demonstrates how to transform a good school into a great school.

Rachel Macfarlane is the Lead Adviser for Underserved Learners at HFL Education. She served as Headteacher of three contrasting schools over a sixteen-year period.
Rachel has written and contributed to a number of books on the themes of educational disadvantage, the features of great schools, and learning power approaches to education. Her 2021 book, Obstetrics for Schools, addresses the disadvantage gap and how to overcome it. Unity In Diversity (2023) is a practical guide for school leaders keen to develop their schools as anti-racist institutions.
Rachel is passionate about supporting schools to effect social mobility and achieve equity for all learners.